Your emotions have a tremendous influence on your health. More specifically, the frequency with which you feel positive emotions, such as joy, laughter and relaxation, are critical for your ongoing physical health.

A recent study from the University of Kansas has added more weight to this relatively new line of thought linking positive emotion and physical health. The latest intellectual jaunt provides keen evidence of the deep-seated need for positive emotions throughout the world.

Sarah Pressman, assistant prof of psychology at Kansas stated, “We’ve known for a while now that emotions play a critical role in physical health, but until recently, most of this research was conducted only in industrialized countries. So we couldn’t know whether feelings like happiness or sadness matter to the health of people who have more pressing concerns — like getting enough to eat or finding shelter. But now we do.” The findings indicate the tremendous importance of positive emotions in the physical health of all individuals, particularly those in impoverished parts of the world.

Gathering an enormous sample that consisted of more than 150,000 adults from over 140 countries, the study represents more than 95% of the world’s population.  Individuals studied described their recent emotions including happiness, worry, anger, anxiety and sadness.  They also reported their physical status, including health problems such as physical pain, exhaustion and illness. In addition, they described the extent to which their basic needs were currently met (e.g., clothing, shelter, food).

Results found that the frequency of positive emotions experienced are ‘unmistakably linked to better health,’ even when basic needs were accounted for. Notably, the opposite was found to be true as well: Destructive emotions, such as anger, fear and sadness, were reliable predictors of reduced physical health.

Amazingly, the relationship between emotion and physical health was stronger than that between health and basic human needs, like food and shelter. Even for those individuals aching with hunger or suffering from a harsh environment due to lack of shelter, the presence of positive emotions increased health. In fact, the relationship was most powerful in the poorest countries involved in the study.

This essential human need for positive emotions and the importance of positive emotions for physical health is quickly getting established as medical certainty.

To laughter, life and love,

John Schinnerer, Ph.D.

Founder Guide To Self, Inc.

Award-winning author and blogger

For free copy of John’s award-winning book, ‘Guide to Self: The Beginner’s Guide to Managing Emotion’ visit [1] http://www.GuideToSelf.com and register with your name and email.

 MLA University of Kansas (2009, March 5). Human Emotions Hold Sway Over Physical Health Worldwide.