LEARN THE BASICS
OCTOBER 2021
The power of forgiveness
What can forgiveness do for your health? The answer may surprise you. Explore the healing benefits of forgiveness in this short video from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Looking for more? Find other articles below
Show transcript
Whether it’s a driver who suddenly cuts you off or years of resentment towards a family member, unresolved conflict can have an impact on your physical health. “There is an enormous physical burden to being hurt and disappointed,” says Karen Swartz, M.D., director of the Mood Disorders Adult Consultation Clinic at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Chronic anger puts you into flight-or-fight mode, which sets off changes in your heart rate, blood pressure and immune response. Those changes can increase the risk of a wide range of ailments, including depression, heart disease and diabetes.¹
The good news is that forgiveness can put you on the path to physical and emotional well-being. So, what better time to start this healing practice than right now?
¹ Johns Hopkins Medicine. Forgiveness: Your health depends on it.
Source: The power of forgiveness. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 2019.
The following resource is available to you through your Costco benefits. It can help you take steps to forgive others and be more in control of your emotional well-being. This resource is confidential and available to you at no cost.