The Impact of Negative Emotions on Our Health

We all know that genetics, lifestyle, and exposure to diseases and toxins contribute to our health. More recently, some researchers have shifted their focus to studying the impact of negative emotions on health. Several studies indicate a direct correlation between the manner in which an individual experiences an emotion and his or her health. For example, a person who constantly interprets life experiences negatively and focuses on those negative emotions seems to have higher disease risk factors and poorer health compared to someone who is able to focus on more positive thoughts.

In the famous ACE study from the 1990s, more than 17,000 people participated to assess a connection between emotional experience and physical health. Each participant was asked if they had experienced any of eight forms of personal abuse or family dysfunction prior to age 18. Those who had reported negative childhood experiences were up to 50 times more likely to have poor health and diseases as adults. These diseases included heart disease, fractures, diabetes, obesity, alcoholism and drug addiction. This study is one of many that suggest that emotional experiences can have an enormous effect on our health. Since negativity causes a chemical reaction in the body, it is theorized that our immune functioning may be lowered as a result, and one becomes more vulnerable to catching illnesses.

Negativity can be a vicious cycle. Something bad happens (big or small) and we have a choice about how we react to that event. If we choose to dwell on every negative detail in our lives, we will be more likely to feel depressed, which in turn can cause stress and decrease immune functioning. One way to break this cycle is to work on reframing our emotions and focus on any and everything that is positive in our lives. While this may seem difficult at first, being positive is one small and important step we can take in ensuring a better quality of life