Emotion

"An emotion does not just reside in your brain."

An emotion causes a mental reaction which triggers a cascade of physical reactions that extend throughout your body. Depending on the type of emotion that is elicited, the body either responds negatively or positively.

Negative emotions, such as anger, increase your heart rate and arterial tension ... trigger the fight-or-flight response ... affect the levels of stress hormones and testosterone in your body ... tense the muscles ... stop the digestive processes ... weaken the immune system ... and negatively impact your physical well-being.

In fact, negative emotions are actually one of the most important contributing factors for all diseases and health problems, including cancer, heart attacks and strokes, high blood pressure, skin problems, headaches, insomnia, depression and anxiety.

Positive emotions, on the other hand, such as joy and love ... alter your brain chemistry ... produce feel-good neurochemicals such as serotonin ... broaden your mindset ... and optimize health and well-being. They also promote discovery of novel and creative actions, ideas and social bonds ... build an individual's personal resources -- including physical, intellectual, social and psychological resources -- and these resources function as reserves that can be drawn on to improve the chances of successful coping and survival.