Researchers say that the key to a long and happy life is to cut yourself some slack

Brandeis University researchers have found a connection between a self-compassionate attitude and lower levels of stress-induced inflammation. Psychological stress can trigger biological responses similar to the effects of illness or injury, including inflammation. While regulated inflammation can help stave off infection or promote healing, unregulated inflammation can lead to cardiovascular disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s. Self-compassion describes behaviors such as self-forgiveness or, more colloquially, cutting yourself some slack. A person with high levels of self-compassion may not blame themselves for stress beyond their control or may be more willing to move on from an argument, rather than dwelling on it for days. The researchers found that people with higher levels of self-compassion had lower levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), an inflammatory agent linked to stress.