God has blessed us with so much but yet we still find things to complain about! We all know that people don’t usually like to hang around someone who moans and groans all the time, we much rather fill our lives with people who are positive and uplifting.
But, it turns out that constant complaining not only turns off others, but it can actually really be harming your own health. And, although it’s quite obvious that complaining brings down your mood and the happiness of those around you, we often fail to see that this negative mindset can also have a large impact on your brain functioning and physical wellbeing. Here’s how:
1. Complaining Makes You More Likely To Think Negatively: The more that you complain, the more likely you are to keep thinking negative thoughts later on. Neuroscientists say that every time you complain, your brain physically rewires itself to make it easier and more likely for that reaction or type of thought to occur again. So, negative thinking just ends up leading to more negative thinking.
2. Complaining Can Damage Your Memory: MRI scans have shown that constant complaining can lead to the shrinking of the hippocampus, which is the region of your brain that is responsible for cognitive functioning. And, a smaller hippocampus typically leads to a decline in memory and in the ability to adapt to new situations.
3. Complaining Increases Your Levels Of Stress Hormones: When you complain, you increase the levels of cortisol, which is also known as the stress hormone, in your body. And, chronically high levels of cortisol can lead to a wide array of health problems including an increased risk of depression, digestive problems, sleep issues, higher blood pressure, and even increased a higher risk of heart disease.
4. Complaining Can Shorten Your Lifespan: Constantly complaining is not only bad for you in the moment, but this negativity can be detrimental to your health in the long run. One study that was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry found that optimists tend to live longer than pessimists with a 55 percent lower risk of death from all causes and a 23 percent lower risk of dying from heart failure.
5. Complaining Makes The People Around You Negative Too: It is clear that no one wants to be around negative people, but if you keep complaining, you might find your peers also adapting these negative habits. In fact, listening to someone complain makes you more likely to be negative as well, and all of that can just perpetuate the desire to release all those unhappy thoughts.
[Source/Simple Most]
Share this story and remind your friends to be positive today… it can help them in so many ways!
