Check Your Balance


Your Mood Can Affect Your Overall Health

There is more evidence every day that demonstrates how your mood can affect your overall health and recovery from illness. Take these startling findings from recent studies, for example:

Learning how to effectively express anger can reduce your risk of high blood pressure. Men or women who bear their grief alone have a higher than average rate of illness. Men have more accidents and illness during their wives' pregnancies than at other times. Having social support helps prevent coronary artery disease in people who are high achievers and find it hard to relax.

The ability to cope with feelings, especially anger, may decrease the risk of breast cancer. Chronic stress weakens the immune system which can increase your risk of physical illness. Click here to learn more about stress, anxiety and depression, and what you can do to help cope with them. Since your state of mind is such an important factor in contracting and recovering from illness, we have put a quick quiz together to help you find out how you've been feeling:

Based on the past six months, check YES after the statement if you feel that way much of the time and NO if you rarely or hardly every feel that way.
  YES NO
I have few real friends and often feel distant.    
I have high expectations for myself.    
I have difficulty standing up for myself.    
I have low self-esteem.    
I'm not happy with my job.    
I often feel helpless.    
It's hard to concentrate.    
I have less energy than I used to.    
I often feel scared or nervous.    
I feel tense and irritable.    
I am overwhelmed.    
I have frequent crying episodes.    
I often feel empty inside.    
I have mood swings.    
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