Strengths of the heart, which lean towards the emotional side show a correlation with well-being. The strengths of the heart include hope, zest, gratitude, love and curiosity and are all strengths which help individuals gain well-being. There have been increasing studies showing robust association between strengths of the heart and well-being, taking into account factors such as environmental, situational and personal issues. Many of the strengths associated with recovering from illness and psychological disorders were associated with the heart strengths, these of which also contribute to life satisfaction Performing exercises that foster these strengths (such as gratitude lists) promotes further cultivation of these specific heart strengths.
Optimism, which is usually associated with hope and gratitude, is generally associated with positive outcomes and consistently predicts how individuals deal with stress. Optimists usually engage in health promoting behaviors, use adaptive coping measures, cope better with illness and surgery and display positive changes in immune system recovery as well as greater survival rates. Photo by Giulia Bertelli on Unsplash
Hope
Consistently, hope is the primary strength which helps individuals when they are feeling devastation and it is linked with health and well-being. Hope is the common strength that helps individuals with cancer, hypertension, diabetes and respiratory functions and can influence mortality. Hope fosters a belief in a higher power and also allows individuals to envision a better future, which is important when dealing with illness. Surveys completed by oncologists revealed that hope is the common denominator that may influence mortality. Hope is considered a strength of transcendence, which is associated with a connection to the larger world and fosters spiritual systems, empowering beliefs, collaborative action and survival systems.
To cultivate hope, think about a situation in your life that was difficult to get through. Write down how you felt, things that you did to get through it and note the positive actions you took. Realize that you have made it through difficult times before and have optimism that you will do it in this situation.
Gratitude
Individuals who are grateful experienced many psychological and social benefits towards health. Grateful individuals tended to have appreciation for life and look at the “positive” in life. They may count their blessings and explain good things in life as gifts Gratitude was also associated with less anxiety, more zest, increased optimism, greater emotional stability and increased conscientiousness. An individual who is mindfully grateful may have fewer physical symptoms, an increased optimistic viewpoint of their illness and spend more time exercising. Gratitude can be cultivated, foster health promoting behavior and inhibit negative emotions. It can lower blood pressure, and allow for better control over stress. Individuals can learn to mindfully be aware when they are feeling a negative emotion and can choose to be grateful. Grateful individuals had better psychological and physical health. Gratitude can promote health.
To cultivate gratitude, think of someone you are grateful for. Write a letter to that person thanking them. Send it or deliver it to them.
Love
Love, which is both an emotion and biological process that can affect an individual’s health. Love fosters positive emotion, social engagement and create a sense of purpose. Love may be considered biological and may influence our health and well-being. It may also be It has long been considered that a “broken heart” may trigger negative physiological effects and can even be a precursor to death. It is a biological process that can potentiate cognitive and physiological processes. In terms of the biology of love, it starts in the primitive parts of the brain (emotional core) and floods the body with sensations, usually triggered by the vagus nerve. There is a link to Oxytocin, the “feel-good hormone”. Oxytocin has a large role in social interactions. Love and compassion can affect our health.
Get in the habit of hugging someone you love, even if it might be a fur baby! Give a hug three times a day and this will boost your Oxytocin.
