Читать книгу The Health Optimist - Hanlie Combrinck - Страница 8

What if we could improve our health by using our social networks?

We are hyper-connected now in the Social Century, sharing on Twitter, Facebook, BBM, Tumblr, Whatsapp and more. Our connectedness opens new avenues of influence and multiple contact points for behavioral change. What if we could use our online circles to improve optimism and wellness in ourselves and others?

The highly influential ” Harvard Men’s Health Watch” magazine, published by Harvard Medical School, asserts that optimism is a powerful positive driver for physical health. In an article entitled “Why optimists enjoy better health” (May 2008), the author details numerous studies which have proven that men who have a more positive outlook tend to enjoy better health.

Dr Suzanne Segerstrom, a leading U.S. expert on optimism, is a professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky. She did extensive research on the effects of emotional health on our physiological health. Her findings confirm the value of optimism.

A large part of our lives is still lived off the social network grid, and this is how it should be. But our online attachments strengthen us and help us reach out wider, to spread the wellness, regardless of our age. How we could optimize our use of these tools at our disposal, to improve our health, is a topic for further research, and would bring tremendous value to us all.