Intriguing study – more evidence that being smart with feelings is key to success in life. In this case – recovery from illness.
Those with low anger control produced higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which was in turn, associated with delayed healing.
Source: BBC NEWS | Health | Anger control key to recovery
While I’m not crazy about the phrase “anger control” (because “control” is the most superficial form of self-management – kind of like someone saying you should “control your wife”), the concept makes so much sense. Feelings tied to danger (ie, stress response) focus our body on short-term problems (fight the lion).
Likely one reason feelings like hope, courage, and compassion speed healing is that they reverse stress.
I suppose physiologically it stands to reason that while under stress (fight/flight/freeze) more important than healing current injuries is the ability to prevent future injuries.
I have observed that the very oldest people always seemed to be more optimistic, calm and content. I thought it was a result wisdom gained through a long life. Perhaps it works the other way around.
HI,
It seems to me that as societies speed up, health does suffer, so to me the stress factor seems real and tangible. Here in Mexico, in my so called small town , growth as well as stress levels have gone way up in the last 5 years, and the results do appear on the physical level.
So this might be part of the reason emotional intelligence is SO important in this era.
Once when we could go to a small town in Mexico to get away from many of the stressors, we might have been able to get by without developing these skills.