Optimism Is A Natural Anti-Anxiety Med. Here’s How It Works.
Pamela Cantor, M.D. Featured in Forbes Article by Talia Milgrom-Elcott.
Source: Sela Milgrom-Dorfman / Forbes
In a world where uncertainty seems to be the only constant, maintaining a positive outlook is more crucial than ever. A Forbes article by Talia Milgrom-Elcott, leader of Beyond100K, delves into the power of optimism as a solution to 2024's complexities and challenges.
Quoting Pamela Cantor, M.D., the article highlights how optimism, when translated into practice, can be a transformative force for individuals and communities, a concept strongly supported by science. Dr. Cantor's insights emphasize that fostering human connections can profoundly shape our mental and emotional resilience.
Ironically, in the face of all that’s going wrong, the healthiest thing you can do is to choose optimism. Optimism’s health benefits are legion: lower risk of chronic diseases like heart attacks, strokes, hypertension, and even cancer. and a higher likelihood of longevity. If you do get sick, optimists experience faster physical recovery from illness and surgery. Optimists have lower levels of depression and anxiety and higher levels of life satisfaction. Dr. Pamela Cantor, physician, author, and thought leader on human potential, calls optimism an “endogenous anti-depressant and anti-anxiety” drug, endogenous meaning that we can generate it ourselves. At any age, a meta-analysis of 15 studies involving over 200,000 participants found, optimism is associated with a significantly lower risk of dying.
Beyond100K is a national network of the nation’s top academic institutions, nonprofits, foundations, companies, and government agencies focused on centering equity and belonging in their pursuit to prepare and retain 150,000 science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) teachers over a decade, by 2032.
Read the article on Forbes.
