Being a complainer can be bad for your health (science guarantees it)

Life, as we all know, is not a bed of roses. As much as it is worth living, we will always have, throughout our existence, countless challenges to overcome, whether complex or simple. It could be, for example, an overly strict boss at work, those extra pounds that insist on staying on our body despite all the diets, the relationship that ended and even the huge and annoying queues of everyday life.

Problems, of course, can always be reasons for complaints. However, some see complaints as true “missions in life” and become true “kings of mimimi”. For them, nothing looks good.

Do you know anyone like this? Well, if so, we have news to share: this attitude can be harmful to your health.

O awesome.club gathered for some studies that prove that it is better to always try to see the glass half full (and not half empty), staying away from the constant complaints.

The brain works like Play-Doh, says Michael Merzenich, a neuroscientist who has furthered his research into neuroplasticity — the science of the brain’s ability to adapt.

Merzenich’s observation is relatively easy to verify, as it is a phenomenon that we experience daily: we can learn a new language at school or adapt to a completely different routine than the one we were used to. The same goes for negative issues like complaining, because our brains adapt to them too.

According to Merzenich, brain circuits can literally be modeled. “Research confirms that our expressive behaviors are the product of these neural networks”, says the scientist. This applies to learning and remembering behaviors such as habits and routines, so constant complaining can have effects on our behavior and mental health, diminishing hope and affecting our emotions.

Another group of researchers explains that surrounding yourself with negative people can be detrimental to your immune system. They asserted that biopsychosocial factors such as psychological stress, depression and environmental influences can affect people’s health. If we surround ourselves with negative people, it can have implications for our well-being.

Another aspect that weighs against the negative view of life and everyday situations is the fact that “down” people usually have few friends or push away the ones they have. Robin Kowalski, psychologist and author of the book Complaining, what’s all the fuss about? 🇧🇷Complain, what’s all the fuss about?), specializes in the subject and ensures that those who express their discomfort excessively seek empathy and support and believe that their interlocutors are truly privileged to hear their complaints.

But when these people are given advice, they tend to disagree with those suggestions. This, in turn, tends to keep potential friends away. After all, nobody wants to live with a person who complains all the time and doesn’t take advice.

Be that as it may, it is important to point out that no one is obliged to live saying all the time that life is wonderful. There are situations that do require criticism and complaints, even if you are the most zen person in the world. Psychologist Hank Davis assures us that complaining has a positive side, because it does us good in situations where we feel alone and helpless and it gives us the possibility of finding someone who also shares our feelings — a person who joins us to act and promote changes.

But even if there are positive factors in the act of complaining, there are more effective ways to do it than “spewing” all your complaints in the ears of your relatives and friends. A great way to deal with negative situations is through so-called metacognition. With this tool, people can recognize that their thoughts and emotions derived from something that caused them discomfort are the product of transient mental events and that problems come and go. And when they recognize this situation, they tend not to “grab” to the problems. Therapy is one way to put this technique into practice.

Optimism gives us life, says a survey of 999 women and men aged 65 to 85. Through a questionnaire, their levels of health, self-respect, optimism and relationships were analyzed. The participants were followed for the next nine years — and of course, given their age, many of them died. Those who, according to the questionnaires, were highly optimistic had a 55% lower risk of death than those who were highly pessimistic. When specifically considering the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, this risk is 23% lower.

One of the possible explanations for this difference is the fact that pessimists tend to develop, throughout life, habits that pose a greater risk to health, such as smoking, poor diet and low level of physical activity.

Do you consider yourself a complaining person? Or do you see yourself as an optimist? Leave your impressions in the comments section.