⑵ Scientists are learning more and more about the link 6. your mind and your health. Stress, depression, and anger have all 7. shown to pave the way to illness and disease. On the 8. hand, if you feel good about yourself, have a positive outlook, and maintain an active involvement in life, you’re more likely to be happy-- and healthy. Many things--genetics, environment, the food you eat, illness, sleep, even the seasons--influence your emotional state. But at the heart of it is how you regard 9. . If you have a healthy level of self-esteem, you not only cope 10. life’s challenges better, but you’re probably more content, confident, and successful. You’re probably also healthier. Studies show that positive self-esteem actually helps inoculate people 11. depression and anxiety, conditions that may pose increased risk of everything, from colds to osteoporosis to heart disease.
Most people’s sense of worth is rooted 12. their childhood--in the early approval or disapproval of parents, teachers, and friends. But as we get older, most of us judge ourselves by our sense of 13. effectively we’re managing in the world, in the areas of love and work. Our ability to love and 14. loved can give our lives a sense of purpose and deep fulfillment. We can also find satisfaction and pride in work-related accomplishments, and the 15. we meet and work with can reinforce our sense of self and our role in life.