Recent Articles of Interest

Do you feel depressed, or bitter most of the time? Do you want to snap out of it? There are many studies being done now-a-days where researchers are trying to figure out the correlation between peoples mood and the group they associate with. Everyone has had the instance where they were in a tremendously good mood and someone came in with their negativity and when they left you felt depressed, angry, or even tired. There are situations where the opposite can occur too. You can be in a bad mood and have someone brighten your day. How does this work?

Emotions are contagious and whether it's because its a reaction with our neurons imitating what we see or our basic need for survival keeping us feeling the same way to keep us safe the fact is that we act and think more like the people we hang out with. Plus, them more time we spend with them the more we will be like them.

People can pick up many things from a group ranging from accents to colds. Not only that but you can pick up moods, behaviors, and attitude if you are in the group for a long enough period of time. Has there been a time when you have picked up a habit from someone else? Like a certain hand gesture, a slang term, or even the need to gossip. Most likely you have, and that's how much power a group has over who you are.

The issue that people who are interested in looking at their emotional wellness need to consider is the fact that some emotions and some mindsets are contagious. People who are angry all the time, or hopeless or depressed can affect people who were not before they started spending time with them. The issue is that the more time that is spent with people who have negative attitudes, the more likely it is that you will find yourself evidencing the same behavior.

That being said, the converse is also true. Being around people who are positive can make you more positive, and being around people who work hard and who are happy can make you more contented and happy as well. Take some time and really consider how you are being affected and what you can do to change it. This does not mean that you should stop seeing depressed or angry people entirely; in many cases, they are quite important to you and have many good points. Just make sure that you go in with some guards up to deflect some of the negativity and that you maintain your own inner optimism. This is something that nurses, policemen, doctors and hospice workers do as a matter of course, and it can help you in your relationships as well!