The Power of Positive Thinking

“Everyone is their own worst critic.” 

We think that this is good for us, that we need to be hard on ourselves to make ourselves better. People often forget that it is possible to be your very own bully, though, and the self-induced negativity causes extra stress and can be a huge obstacle on your road to a healthy lifestyle.

Researchers continue to see the benefits of positive thinking, including:

• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

Here are some tips to help you BE POSITIVE and adopt a healthy mental lifestyle.

Identify and Change It - People often get stuck in a cloud of negativity without knowing it. Stop to identify the source of your problem and evaluate the situation the next time you’re feeling down. Is it work? School? Problems at home? Once you identify the problem, it becomes something that you can change.

Laugh More - Be open to humor and allow yourself to smile and laugh during times that are difficult. If you can laugh about it, you will be able to put a better spin on things and see that the problem is not as big as it seemed.

Be Around Positive People - Are the people around you positive and supportive? It’s important to create an environment around you that reinforces your new positive lifestyle. Having a support system will also help when you’re in a rut that you can’t get out of. Pick up the phone and call someone to talk about it.

Replace Negative Self-Talk with Positive Thinking - Here is a chart with examples of how positive thinking can change what was negative self-talk.

People are often told to exercise and adopt smart eating habits, but being positive is just as important on your road to a better and healthier lifestyle. As with anything, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE makes perfect, so take time to pat yourself on the back every day and soon you’ll be a positive thinking pro!

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/23/positive-thinking_n_1376124.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/positive-thinking/SR00009/NSECTIONGROUP=2