Success May Not Bring Health and Happiness

By Vishal | No Comments

We have heard that success brings in positive thoughts that in turn bring in happiness, higher immunity and better overall health. But according to the latest research conducted by some psychologists at Duke University in Durham, a large amount of success does not seem to sit well with everyone. Only those who have high levels of self esteem can take in sudden and high levels of success. This is so because they feel that they deserve it and have worked well for it. People who have a poor self image cannot accept the sudden change and such a situation may cause their immunity levels to actually drop leading to a sudden attack of diseases and health issues. For these individuals the optimum state of health is when they are moderately successful.

This new thought has been coined psychoneuroimmunology and is a study that links the brain functions with immunity, emotions and overall health. Though we know that overall health is linked with success, the subtleties of the interactions are studied under this branch. The belief that is emerging is that a modest level of success is favorable for the body since it keeps the defense mechanisms of the body functioning properly. Too much success brings in a state of extreme relaxation that can lower immune functions leading to diseases.

This new theory makes success less black and brings it into the gray area where a certain amount of stress is deemed good and only excesses are considered negative. Doctors have observed that patients with certain health issues recover faster when they are asked to get back to their work life where they experience moderate levels of success. Recuperation is slower when the patient is advised complete bed rest. Getting back to work and experiencing normal levels of stress provide an opportunity to make small achievements that are rewarding providing the much needed energy and adrenalin to keep going. However, it is chronic stress that is to be avoided.

It seems that stress and self-esteem need to go hand in hand. Too much success without self-esteem can be dangerous and self-esteem without the capability of handling the tasks that are presented can also be a thwarting and frustrating experience. When the two go hand in hand and expectations from self are realistic and are being met at an acceptable rate, the killer T cell count that measures immunity shows lower levels. The immunity levels were highest for those who had high levels of both self-esteem and success.

When you are in a constant mode of self-evaluation that happens due to the failure of efforts that have been put to achieve goals, the mood is low but the general motivations levels may rise with the intent to push on.

The key lies in being able to set realistic goals for self that can be achieved and those that will not come as a shock when completed.

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