Andwhatifsomewhoweremeasuredonthatonedaywerejusthavingabadday?
"A'badday'shouldweakentherelationship,"Stonesays."Whatit'ssayingisthereareenoughpeopleherethatpeoplehavingodddaysdidn'treallymatterverymuch.Somepeoplehadbaddaysandsomehadgooddays.Iftheyhadbeenabletomeasureseveraldayswiththesetechniques,onewouldguessthattherelationshipwouldbeevenstronger."
LauraKubzansky,anassociateprofessorintheDepartmentofSociety,HumanDevelopmentandHealth,atHarvard'sSchoolofPublicHealthinBoston,saysthere'sa"burgeoningbodyofworkthatsuggestspositivepsychologicalfunctioningbenefitshealth,"andthisstudyissignificantbecauseit"addstothearsenal."
"Itcouldsaytopeople,youshouldtakeyourmoodseriously,"Kubzanskysays."Ithinkpeoplesortofundervalueemotionallifeanyway.Thishighlightstheideathatifyouaregoingthroughaperiodwhereyou'reconsistentlydistressed,it'sprobablyworthpayingattentiontohowyoufeel—itmattersforbothpsychologicalandphysicalhealth."