The Life-Saving Power of Positivity

When we look back at the fight against the coronavirus, we will remember the hardships but also the incredible dedication and positivity of those on the frontlines. Today we hear how medical workers are helping to save lives through positivity and the lesson we all learn from a medical expert about the real impact of positivity on health and well-being. Plus: inspiration from a health care worker, in a photo that recalls Rosie the Riveter.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to this episode of Here's Something Good, a production
of the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio.
We are so grateful to our launch partners, founding partner
PNG and Bank of America. Together we're bringing you something
good every day, and it wouldn't be possible without their support.
Each day we aspire to bring you the good news

(00:24):
of silver lining the glass half full, because there is
good happening in the world everywhere every day. We just
need to look for it and share it. Here's something
Good for Today. Of all the many heroic pictures we've
seen during the pandemic, there's one that has particularly stayed
with us, and it sums up this moment. It's the

(00:46):
photo of the young female medical worker in the Rosie
the Riveter pose. She has her hair pulled back with
a bandanna and her bicep flex and she's looking straight
at the camera, reminding us, as Rosie the Riveter did,
that we can do it and that we will get
through this. Because when we look back at the fight
against the coronavirus, we will see that it was the
dedication and positive energy of these medical workers, the doctors,

(01:07):
the nurses, the volunteers that helped us get through this,
and it's not just a nice notion. Today we'll hear
from a medical expert who will tell us about the
life saving difference positivity can and is making. Now we're
all constantly online these days tracking the latest developments. But
let's do ourselves some good and turn away from the
scare headlines. Let's try to focus on the positive for

(01:28):
a change. If you want to bring some positivity into
your life, take a look at Facebook pages like Cheers
for the front Line, or watch the videos that have
gone viral of nurses and scrubs dancing and singing. Don't
stop believing. New York City hospitals understand the importance of
positivity for lifting spirits and encouraging healing. At Lenox Hell,
for example, they play the Beatles Here Comes the Sun

(01:49):
when someone comes off a ventilator or an n y
U Lang gown. They play Alicia Keys Empire State of
Mind every time a coronavirus battle has been won. What's
amazing is that the kind of positive energy actually contributes
to health and saving lives. We talked to Dr Sandra Gelbart,
a New York City Internets on the front Lines who
specializes in disease prevention. And here's what she had to say.

(02:12):
Having a positive attitude has a very strong effect on
your overall health. The mind body connection has firmly been established,
you know, in the hospitals these days, these nurses and
the healthcare workers. It's basically unlike any other disease that
I've ever seen, and I would venture to say many
other healthcare workers that I work with, because you're going

(02:34):
into a situation where they're not protected and they know
they're potentially going to encounter a viral syndrome and that
could be deadly, but they're still going a lot of
these patients the only face they see are the faces
of the team that's taking care of them, and these
are strangers to them in essence. But what's gone on

(02:55):
are there's a window that they can look through every
day and throughout the country, all the nurses, I've seen
many many examples. I've spoken to a lot of my colleagues.
These patients have reported that that window is their connection
to life every day, and the nurses hang signs that
say we're going to get you home, You're going to

(03:15):
get through this. There's many reports from patients stating that
these words of encouragement have Really it was something they
looked forward to, and they grew to love their teams
because it was really an environment of selflessness that many
of them have never seen before. We can all take
a lesson from the incredible positivity and selflessness these nurses

(03:38):
and health care workers embody every day. Their words of
encouragement are literally saving lives, and positivity is contagious. Research
shows that emotions like enthusiasm and joy are easily transmitted
from person to person. It's called emotional contagion and can
be passed on by your facial expression, your body language,
the way you talk, and even your posture. While many

(04:00):
of us are not medical professionals working on the front lines,
we can learn from their example and improve our own
lives and the lives of others through positivity and simple
words of encouragement, which we all really need right now,
especially when we're under shelter, in place, and in close quarters.
It's important to be more conscious of how one's mood
and attitude can positively or negatively impact others. Let's honor

(04:23):
these modern day heroes by following their example, and let's
try on our own lives to be that window of
positivity by giving words of encouragement to others and to ourselves.
Perhaps you might post something online, send a mood lifting email,
or even write an encouraging post a note to yourself
that says share something good. And if you'd like to
support organizations that are making a difference for frontline workers,

(04:45):
consider making a donation to the Coronavirus Relief Fund, Direct Relief,
or other organizations supporting these modern day heroes. Everyone every
day has something good to share, whether it's a story
that inspired you, a great tip that you've heard about,

(05:06):
or something that happened in your day that you're grateful for.
If you want to share your something good with us,
please email us at something Good at Seneca Women dot
com and we may even share it with the world.
Thank you for listening, and please share today's something Good
with others in your life. This is Kim Azzarelli, co
author of Fast Forward and co founder of Seneca Women.
To learn more about Seneca Women, go to Seneca Women

(05:27):
dot com or download the Seneca Women app free in
the app store. Here's Something Good is a production of
the Seneca Women podcast network and I Heart Radio, with
support from founding partner PNG and Bank of America, have
a great day. For more podcasts from my heart Radio,

(05:49):
check out the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you listen to your favorite shows.