Skip to content
  • Start Here
  • Courses
  • Quizzes
  • Contact
  • About
  • Start Here
  • Courses
  • custom-logo
  • Quizzes
  • Contact
  • About
Undo Stress Through Positive Emotions
Health & Wellness

Undo Stress Through Positive Emotions

November 17, 2014January 24, 2017 Editor Comments Off on Undo Stress Through Positive Emotions


The way we shift from situation to situation can certainly be stressful. Each event has its way of making demands on our personal resources and there seems little doubt that many people already function at the upper tolerance of their capacity.

For them, just a bit more stress is enough to tip the balance from health to illness or to begin shaping a once accommodating and pleasant personality into something else.

Everyone knows that people react differently to stress. Some have short fuses and explode in fury, others implode and simmer, yet others seem permanently calm and collected. How do they do it and what can we learn from them?

It’s possible that some people have a genetic advantage when it comes to stress. They seem more resilient, more optimistic, less inclined to take things personally. It’s difficult to prove that these Teflon-coated personalities are the product of some genetic accident however and perhaps this just becomes one of the convenient ways to explain something we don’t really understand? Just as compelling are the suggestions that a solid loving foundation as a child provides the necessary scaffolding for life as an adult. 

We’ve come to understand a great deal about stress, the way it depresses mood and can lead to ill health. Much less is known about optimism or what might generally be thought of as positive emotions. To what extent might positive moods protect us against the negative effects of stress, or even repair the damage caused by stress? 

The past few years has seen a growing level of interest in and around the psychology of positive emotions. What evidence there is seems to point to positive emotions being associated with favorable health outcomes. Positive emotions are known to have a positive effect on our nervous and endocrine systems. People with more positive outlooks have consistently lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and on heart rate and blood pressure.

We’ve spent a lot of time and resources looking into the negative effects of stress and potential buffers to stress. The emphasis has tended to be towards people as victims of stress. We use anti-stress techniques as ways of combating the enemy and of protecting ourselves. I’m certainly not dismissing these anti-stress mechanisms and techniques, they are much too important. What’s interesting however is the fact that attention is slowly turning towards ways in which the effects of stress might actually be dismantled through positive thinking.
This, to me, points to an interesting line of enquiry and one I’ll be keeping an eye on.

stress

Related Posts

3 natural ways to boost your energy
3 natural ways to boost your energy
How to handle criticism positively
How to handle criticism positively
Ways to cope with life challenges
Ways to cope with life challenges
How Sleep Helps Prevent Chronic Illnesses
How Sleep Helps Prevent Chronic Illnesses

Post navigation

Five Mood Lifters
Monitor These Lifestyle Stressors

Search the site

Categories

  • Body Positivity
  • Happiness
  • Health & Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Motivation
  • Relationships
  • Self-Confidence
  • Self-Improvement
  • Success

Our Courses

Understanding bipolar disorder
Making moments
Control: the art of self-discipline
How to eliminate self-doubt
Practicing patience
Building more positivity
21 steps to a whole new you
Success fundamentals
Emotional intelligence
Fears, worry and stress
Living life to the fullest
Couch potato to fit and healthy
Supercharge your brain

Quizzes

Are you a people pleaser?
Am I control freak?
Body Language quiz
Happiness quiz
Optimism quiz
Have you got a playful mindset?
How well do you handle stress?
Life balance
Test your positive thinking
Check your assertiveness
Self-Esteem Quiz
Test your mindset
Test your empathy
Find your animal personality
Am I depressed?
Am I confident?
Will my relationship last?
Are you body positive?
Are you too angry?

Free AudioBooks!

Disclaimer

This site is for your information and entertainment. It contains a variety of views, opinions, statements and comments. We do not vouch for the reliability or accuracy of such information. Where legal, medical or professional issues are concerned we strongly recommend you seek advice from appropriately qualified personnel.
  • Contact
  • Cookie Policy
  • Contributed Content
  • Privacy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Quotes
  • Quizzes
© 2021 |