Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you’re optimistic or pessimistic – and it’s going to even affect your health.
Indeed, some studies show that personality traits like optimism and pessimism can affect many areas of your health and well-being. The positive thinking that typically comes with optimism could be a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is related to many health benefits. If you tend to be pessimistic, don’t despair — you’ll learn positive thinking skills.
UNDERSTANDING POSITIVE THINKING AND SELF-TALK
Positive thinking doesn’t suggest that you simply keep your head within the sand and ignore life’s less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means you approach unpleasantness more positively and productively. you think that the simplest goes to happen, not the worst.
Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head. These automatic thoughts are often positive or negative. a number of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you simply create due to a lack of data.
If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you’re likely an optimist — someone who practices positive thinking.
THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF POSITIVE THINKING
Researchers continue to explore the results of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:
- Increased life span
- Lower rates of depression
- Lower levels of distress
- Greater resistance to the cold
- Better psychological and physical well-being
- Better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from disorder
- Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
It’s unclear why people that engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body.
It’s also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to measure healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and do not smoke or drink alcohol in excess.
IDENTIFYING NEGATIVE THINKING
Not sure if your self-talk is positive or negative? Some common sorts of negative self-talk include:-
Filtering: You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter all of the positive ones. for instance, you had an excellent day at work. You completed your tasks before time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. That evening, you focus only on your decision to do even more tasks and ditch the compliments you received.
Personalizing: When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. for instance, you hear that a night out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because nobody wanted to be around you.
Catastrophizing: You automatically anticipate the worst. The drive-through cafe gets your order wrong and you automatically think that the remainder of your day is going to be a disaster.
Polarizing: You see things only as either good or bad. there’s no middle ground. you are feeling that you simply need to be perfect or you are a total failure.
FOCUSING ON POSITIVE THINKING
You can learn to show negative thinking into positive thinking. the method is straightforward, but it does take time and practice — you’re creating a replacement habit, after all. Here are some ways to think and behave more positively and optimistically:-
Identify areas to vary: If you would like to become more optimistic and have interaction in additional positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you simply usually think negatively about, whether it’s work, your daily commute, or a relationship. you’ll start small by that specialize in one area to approach more positively.
Check yourself: Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you’re thinking. If you discover that your thoughts are mainly negative, attempt to find how to place a positive spin on them.
Be open to humor: Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. once you can tease life, you are feeling less stressed.
Follow a healthy lifestyle: Aim to exercise for about half-hour on most days of the week. you’ll also break it up into 10-minute chunks of your time during the day. Exercise can positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. And learn techniques to manage stress.
Surround yourself with positive people: confirm those in your life are positive, supportive people you’ll depend upon to offer helpful advice and feedback. Negative people may increase your stress level and cause you to doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.
Practice positive self-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don’t say anything to yourself that you simply wouldn’t tell anyone else. Be gentle and inspiring with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what’s good about you. believe things you’re thankful for in your life.
PRACTICING POSITIVE THINKING A DAY
If you tend to possess a negative outlook, don’t expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually, your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. you’ll also subside critical of the planet around you.
When your state of mind is usually optimistic, you’re better ready to handle everyday stress more constructively. That ability may contribute to the widely observed health benefits of positive thinking.
