Catastrophes are hard, if not brutal to go through, yet with the right mindset they can change us for the better with lasting, positive alterations, writes member Sara Zaske. A randomized trial showed that people who were given intervention that helped change their mindset after living through a catastrophe had tangible beneficial results. From lower levels of depression to reduced levels of an inflammatory marker linked to chronic stress and disease, these behaviors show promise in the effects of a positive mindset after trauma. Of course cultivating a positive mindset is far from just thinking happy thoughts. Negative impacts were not ignored but rather given a coat of nuance and providing evidence that there are some good things still happening, for instance. To learn more about the research and its effects, stay tuned with Zaske’s article on it.
Photo: R via Wikimedia Commons
