You may be guilty of killing your cells! Destroying the building blocks of your body! And you may be doing it without even knowing! Researchers have found that negative thoughts can lead to premature cell death. You don’t want your cells to die! Dead cells equal aging! The lifespan of a cell is dictated in part by a cellular structure called a telomere. The telomere protects your genetic data and helps cells to divide. But, every time a cell divides, the telomere gets shorter. After a while, it becomes too short and it is unable to divide. When this happens, the cell dies.
In addition to negative thoughts, it’s also been noted that hostile thoughts shorten these cellular structures. This leads to premature aging of cells, which means premature aging of you! A recent study published in Journal of Behavioral Medicine found that cynical men had a much higher risk of heart attack and stroke. When compared to less skeptical people, those who think cynical and hostile thoughts create a negative impact on their telomeres. This impact results in high levels of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, and depression. Hostile, cynical people die at a younger age.
Maybe you’re not hostile, but are you pessimistic? In research from 2014, investigators measured pessimism and telomere length in 490 men. Not surprisingly, more pessimistic men have shorter telomeres. And size matters! In another study, researchers found that pessimism could not only create poor health, it could cause an illness to progress at a far faster rate. When pessimists developed cancer or heart disease, they died sooner.
Perhaps you’re guilty of over analysis? Even though something may have happened years ago, you continue to analyze the situation. This miserable and purposeless rumination can kill you! Let it go! Forgive! Agonizing over the past creates anxiety and depression, which leads to production of high levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. You are shortening your telomeres, slowly killing them. And you know what happens next…
The good news is that you can take action to lengthen your telomeres and keep them functioning for a longer period of time. The actions are not difficult or demanding. You’ve probably heard it all before. I’ll remind you again. Control your stress. Sleep. Exercise regularly. Eat foods that are high in antioxidants, vitamin C and vitamin E. Practice mindful meditation. Think good thoughts. I’ll repeat. Think the thoughts that make you feel good. Hopeful thoughts. Loving thoughts. Forgiving thoughts. Focus on what you want. Focus on the positive. It’s not just about the lala woowoo everybody be happy now. It’s about your health and longevity. And you contribute to it. One way or another.
Your thoughts matter! Negativity. Cynicism. Hostility. Pessimism. Rumination. Stop. Just stop. Stop hurting yourself. Your thoughts influence your actions. Your thoughts influence your health. Your thoughts create your reality. Now you know better. Do better.