7 Everyday Things That Are Actually Contagious ...

Spend a few minutes around an extremely happy person and watch how your own mood changes. Happiness is one of those things that are actually contagious that you'll want to catch. I had a horrible day and wasn't in the mood to hang out, but I finally gave in and went out with my girlfriend. After about 15 minutes of her happy chatter, I found myself feeling better and smiling instead of frowning. You might try to avoid it, but it's more contagious than the flu.

Experts are always saying you should avoid negative people. They're not wrong. Pessimistic or negative attitudes are highly contagious. If the pessimism is strong enough, it can actually overpower happiness. I couldn't figure out why I had started seeing the worst in every situation. My new co-worker who I worked closely with always had a very pessimistic view on everything. Just being around her had changed my way of thinking. I made sure to take breaks regularly to get my optimistic attitude back.

Watch someone scratching and see how it makes you feel. I never thought about itchiness being contagious, but once I see someone scratching their arm, I suddenly feel like mine is itching. Our minds make the assumption that if someone around you has an itch, there must be something in the air that makes everyone itch. Get around someone with bug bites or a rash and you'll be scratching right along with them. While not necessarily bad, it can be annoying taking care of phantom itchies.

As if we don't have enough stress on our plate, being around other stressed people can increase our own stress. Maybe that's why our society is always dealing with chronic stress. It's a domino effect of contagious anxiety. I find myself feeling more on guard and thinking about my own stresses the more I'm around someone else who's stressed. Keeping a positive attitude and taking deep breaths may just help boost your stress immunity.

When someone is afraid, they show very obvious signs. This makes others feel anxious and even fearful. After all, when I see someone who looks terrified, my heart rate speeds up a little because I immediately think something must be wrong. Our own terror is actually contagious. It stimulates the fight or flight response in the people around us. Even in situations where we wouldn't usually be afraid, hearing someone scream or seeing their eyes widen in fear makes us instantly afraid as well.

I'm a very goal-oriented person. It wasn't until I noticed my friends always starting new goals right after me that I realized my intentions to make changes in my life were contagious. Listening to someone set a goal or take steps towards changing something in their life is motivating. It makes you want to get up and do something too. If you need a kick to finally get on your goals, spend some time around someone who's working on achieving their own goals.

I used to meet my friend each morning on her way back from her run. She was always a little breathless since it was the end of her workout. While I was just starting mine, I found myself feeling breathless and a little tired too just from talking to her a few minutes. It's completely involuntary, but we tend to catch physical symptoms of a good workout. Work out beside someone who's pushing themselves to the limit and watch how much faster you tire out.

As crazy as these all seem, we often encounter everyday things that are actually contagious. While I can't avoid them all, knowing how they might affect me helps me to make a conscious effort to prevent them from infecting me. Have you ever caught any of these? Are there any other daily things you've caught?