Joy Matters

One of my favorite magazines is Ode, the magazine for intelligent optimists. In their September issue was an article by Mary Desmond Pinkowish about why joy matters. Here’s a brief excerpt, but I think you’ll want to read the whole article on Ode’s website.

Optimism 2.0

How an optimistic outlook can help improve your state of health, not just your state of mind.
Optimism can protect against depression and anxiety disorders and promote emotional resilience. Optimists are physically healthier than pessimists, and they recover faster from conditions like heart disease. Optimism can help us cope more effectively with stress, and affects the immune system in ways that are largely beneficial. Plus, most people prefer the company of optimists. Compared to pessimists, they have more friends and are more likely to have wide social networks, which confer additional health benefits.

Thanks, Ode!

Tags: joy matters, Mary Desmond Pinkowish, ode magazine, optimism, The Joy Team