HOW POSITIVE THINKING CAN IMPACT YOUR HEALTH

Updated May 2024 | 5 min read
Expert contributor Professor Donnel Briley, lead researcher, Sydney University; Kathleen Alleaume, nutrition and exercise scientist
Words by the Health Agenda team

Could positive thinking help you recover from illness faster, or support you in reaching your health goals? A growing body of research says yes.

How would you describe your outlook on life? Do you try to focus on positive thinking or does your glass tend to be half empty? Your answer to this question may affect your physical health, as more and more research finds a link between our mindset and how healthy we are.

While positive thinking can’t replace medical advice and treatment, several research studies have found a link between thinking optimistically and adopting healthy behaviours that can lead to the prevention of some diseases. The link is so compelling that the American Heart Association released the following statement in 2021:

“Multiple studies have found that optimism is associated with healthier behaviors such as more physical activity, not smoking, healthy diet score, better sleep quality, and higher composite cardiovascular health scores. An optimistic frame of mind has been shown to be associated with healthy aging and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, including stroke and heart failure, and a lower risk of all-cause mortality.”

In 2023, research published in Health Psychology looked at the connection between positive thinking and healthy actions taken by young adults. The study found a correlation between an optimistic outlook and health-enhancing behaviours like physical activity, nutrition and stress management, supporting the idea that fostering optimism could be a useful tool in the promotion of healthy lifestyles and the prevention of chronic disease.

Your mindset could influence how long you live, too. The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society explored the link between optimism and longevity in older women in diverse racial and ethnic groups. When researchers analysed data taken from over 150,000 women aged 50 to 79, they found the most optimistic women lived, on average, about 4.4 years longer than the least optimistic women.

Positive thinking and recovery from illness and trauma

In research published in the Journal of Consumer Research in 2017, positive thinking was found to be helpful in the recovery of seriously ill patients.

The research, conducted by professors at Stanford University, the University of Houston and the University of Sydney, looked at how well patients were able to imagine getting better and how this helped their recovery.

Over six studies, with over 1,300 participants, the researchers were able to prove that patients with a more optimistic outlook actually recovered better and more quickly. What’s more, that positivity had other knock-on effects, from increased energy and physical endurance to a greater willingness to take on more intensive physical therapy.

Professor Donnel Briley, the lead researcher on the study from the University of Sydney, says, “Mentally simulating your future is incredibly important to optimism. We asked people to think about their futures and what they were going to do to get better.

“What made the difference was clearly being able to envision implementing these ideas. The more clear [the ideas] were, the more optimistic they became about their futures.”

How to develop a positive mindset

Although positive thinking can’t heal disease or injury, this research suggests that in some cases it can have benefits for those with health issues.

Visualising the future in an optimistic way can motivate us to make healthy choices – and that may be relevant to all of us. Kathleen Alleaume, nutrition and exercise scientist, and author of What’s Eating You, encourages her clients to visualise their success.

“People want quick-fix solutions, but being healthy is about making small choices over and over. One thing that helps with that is thinking positively about the result you want.”

She recommends clients think about the way they feel after eating a favourite salad, going for a run or doing yoga.

“We almost always feel better when we make a healthy choice. Framing those choices positively and constantly reaffirming them to ourselves helps us to repeat them over and over.”

Indeed, this is the advice Prof Briley now gives. While we think of negative thinking as a vicious cycle, he notes that there’s also a cyclical element to positive thinking.

“The more optimistic people are, the more likely they are to [make] better, more healthy choices. They feel better about themselves and they reflect that in their choices.”

Strategies to encourage a healthy mindset

Thinking positively can be difficult, especially if you have a chronic physical or mental illness, or
injury. Here are some strategies to get you started.

1. Keep a gratitude journal

Regularly write down the things you’re thankful for, as well as healthy goals that you see yourself achieving in the future – running, enjoying a holiday or even something as simple as cooking
a nutritious meal for the family.

2. Make goals manageable

Break down your goals into small steps so they’re more manageable. If your goal is losing weight, seek help from your GP with your diet, or through evidence-based weight loss programs, like the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet.

3. Strengthen social connections

According to Lifeline, healthy connections with friends, family members, co-workers and acquaintances can help you build resilience, and even make you physically healthier. Reaching out to a friend, family member or neighbour who you haven’t spoken to in a while is a great way to rekindle a social connection.

4. Prioritise positivity

Arrange your schedule to include an activity that brings you joy once a week, even if it’s as simple as setting aside half an hour to read, uninterrupted. And try to be around optimistic people as much as possible. Their positive outlook on life can be contagious.

5. Don’t value happiness too highly

This sounds counterintuitive, but forcing yourself to feel optimistic when you truly don’t feel that way can backfire. If you feel down, try finding some calm first – for example, with deep breathing or mindfulness.

Need to speak with someone?

To help provide faster, easier access to registered psychologists, we’re offering eligible members^* a free and confidential telehealth HealthyMinds Check-in. The HealthyMinds Check-in is a one-on-one chat from the comfort of your home with a PSYCH2U psychologist about how you're feeling. They can offer you tailored support and, depending on your needs, can direct you to your GP for a mental health treatment plan, Medicare-subsidised sessions or appropriate support programs and resources. Appointments for HCF members are available from 7am to 10pm AEST, Monday to Friday.