Back in 2007, Professors John Cacioppo and Steve Cole discovered that feeling lonely changes people’s genes: it reduces our ability to fight off viruses and increases our risk of inflammatory diseases such as cancer, arthritis, and the clogged arteries that can lead to heart attacks.
Then, between 2010 and 2013, Steve Cole worked with psychologist Barbara Fredrickson to look for the opposite effect. Together they studied the genes of people who lived highly connected, hedonistic lives. And they also studied the genes of people who lived lives built around a sense of purpose.
What they found was that living a hedonistic lifestyle had no measurable effect on people’s genes. But the genes of people who lived ‘purposeful’ lives showed improved antiviral response and reduced risk of inflammatory diseases.
Three larger studies have since shown similar results.
Living in line with our purpose not only helps us to feel freer and more focused and to achieve more — it also changes the way our genes express themselves, making us healthier, and enabling us to live longer.
Living on purpose is good for us.
Would you like to reduce your risk of inflammatory diseases such as heart attacks, arthritis, and cancer? Would you like to achieve more and feel freer and more focused? Are you living a purposeful life?
Adapted from Inner Leadership: a framework and tools for building inspiration in times of change.
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Photo By Geoff Hutchison via StockPholio.net