A New Year ushers with it the promise of new beginnings – fresh starts, for the better. With New Year’s resolutions, we resolve to change undesirable habits or behaviors to achieve our goals and to improve our lives. New Year’s resolutions thus mean that we all hope for the better and it is a good emotion that fuels us to thrive and to strive to be well and healthy.
Hopefulness is closely intertwined with increased productivity and less absenteeism in workplaces. It is also associated with increased levels of happiness, feelings of control, and feelings of empowerment to achieve goals.
In health, hopefulness enables sick people to tolerate pain better. They also tend to be more compliant to health care givers’ instructions and to doctor’s prescriptions. Studies show that there is a doubled risk of getting sick or dying among people who feel hopeless.
Hope plays an important role in our lives. Facing the New Year with this positive emotion strengthens us and makes us cope better with changes, challenges, and stress. Hope complements physician’s prescriptions.
Wishing each and everyone a hopeful, healthy, and a prosperous New Year!
Medical questions and concerns and suggested topics may be emailed to [email protected] or [email protected]. Answers will be provided in the column or will be emailed to the concerned reader.
