The power of positive thinking

 Positive Thinking: Stop Negative Self-Talk to Reduce Stress

Positive Thinking

Positive Thinking: Stop Negative Self-Talk to Reduce Stress Positive thinking helps you cope with stress and can improve your health. Try to overcome negative self-talk by practicing the examples provided.

Do you see the glass as half full or half empty? How you answer this classic question about positive thinking reflects your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist and it can even affect your health.

Indeed, some studies show that personality traits such as optimism and pessimism can affect various aspects of our health and well-being. Positive thinking, which typically accompanies optimism, is an essential part of effective stress management. Effective stress management comes with many health benefits. If you tend to think pessimistically, there’s no need to despair; you can learn positive thinking skills.

Indeed, some studies show that personality traits such as optimism and pessimism can affect various aspects of our health and well-being. Positive thinking, which typically accompanies optimism, is an essential part of effective stress management. Effective stress management comes with many health benefits. If you tend to think pessimistically, there’s no need to despair; you can learn positive thinking skills.

Understanding Positive Thinking and Self-Talk :

Positive thinking doesn’t mean ignoring life’s upsetting situations. Rather, positive thinking means dealing with upsetting situations in a more positive and productive way. You believe that the best will happen, not the worst.
Positive thinking always starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unconscious thoughts running through your head. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk is the product of reason and logic. Other self-talk may stem from misconceptions formed due to a lack of information, or expectations based on preconceived notions of what might happen.
If most of the thoughts in your head are negative, your outlook on life will likely be pessimistic. But if most of the thoughts in your head are positive, you are likely an optimistic person that is, someone who practices positive thinking.

The Health Benefits of Positive Thinking :

Researchers continue to investigate the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. The health benefits that positive thinking may offer include the following:

• Extended healthy life expectancy.
• Reduced rates of depression.
• Lower levels of stress and pain.
• Higher resistance to disease.
• Better mental and physical health.
• Improved cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease and stroke.
• Reduced risk of death from cancer.
• Reduced risk of death from respiratory conditions.
• Reduced risk of death from infections.
• Improved coping skills during difficult and stressful times.

It is not clear why people who practice positive thinking enjoy these health benefits. One theory suggests that having a positive outlook allows you to cope better with stressful situations, thereby reducing the negative health effects that stress has on your body.
It is also believed that positive and optimistic people tend to lead healthier lifestyles; they engage in more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and do not smoke or drink alcohol excessively.

Recognizing Negative Thinking :

Are you unsure whether your self-talk is positive or negative? Some common forms of negative self-talk include the following:

• Magnification: Exaggerating the negative aspects of a situation and ignoring all the positive ones. For example, you had a great day at work. You finished all your tasks ahead of schedule and were complimented on completing the work quickly and accurately. But in the evening, you focus only on your plan to take on more tasks and forget the compliments you received.

• Taking things personally: When something bad happens, you immediately blame yourself. For example, you hear that a night out with friends has been canceled and assume the plans changed because no one wants you there.

• Catastrophizing: You automatically expect the worst without any evidence that the worst will happen. The café takes your order while you’re in your car, and you get the wrong order, so you assume the rest of your day will be a disaster.

• Blame: You try to say that someone else is responsible for what happened to you instead of taking responsibility yourself. In this way, you avoid taking responsibility for your thoughts and feelings.

• Saying “You should have” done something: You think about all the things you believe you should have done and blame yourself for not doing them.

• Blowing things out of proportion: You make a big deal out of minor issues.

• Striving for perfection: Holding yourself to impossible standards and trying to be more perfect sets you up for failure.

• Black-and-white thinking: You see things as either good or bad. So you complain when things don’t go your way.

Focus on positive thinking :

You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. This process is simple, but it takes time and practice to eventually form a new habit. Here are some ways to think and act in a more positive and optimistic way:

• Identify what you want to change: If you want to become more optimistic and think more positively, first identify the aspects of life you typically think about in a negative way whether it’s work, daily commutes, life’s ups and downs, or your relationships. You can start simply by focusing on one aspect to think about and approach in a more positive way. Think positively to manage your stress instead of thinking negatively.

• Evaluate yourself: Take a moment to assess what you think about repeatedly throughout the day. If you find that most of your thoughts are negative, try to find a way to add a positive twist to them.

• Be open to humor: Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during stressful times. Look for the fun in everyday life. When you laugh at life, you’ll feel less stressed.

• Follow a healthy lifestyle: Make sure to exercise for about 30 minutes most days of the week. You can also break it up into 5  or 10 minute sessions throughout the day. Exercise can positively affect your mood and relieve stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. Get enough sleep. And learn stress management techniques.

• Surround yourself with positive people: Make sure you have positive, supportive people you can rely on to provide helpful advice and feedback. On the other hand, negative people may increase your stress levels and make you doubt your ability to cope with stress in healthy ways.

• Try practicing positive self-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to someone else. Be your own friend and cheer yourself on. If a negative thought crosses your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations about your good qualities. Think about the things you appreciate in your life.

Here are some examples of negative self-talk and how you can use positive thinking to turn those thoughts to your advantage :

 Practicing Positive Thinking :

Negative self-talk  :	Positive Thinking:
I've never done that before.	It's a chance to learn something new.
It's very complicated.	I'll approach it from a different angle.
I don't have the necessary resources.	I'll approach it from a different angle.
I'm really lazy, so I won't be able to do that.	I wasn't able to fit it into my schedule, but I can reevaluate some of my priorities.
This won't work under any circumstances.	I'll try to do that.
It's a radical change.	Let's give it a try.
No one bothers to get in touch with me.	I'll see if I can open up some lines of communication.
I can't do any better than that.	I'll try again

Practice positive thinking every day :

If you tend to have a negative outlook, don’t expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, your self-talk will involve less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. You may also become less critical of the world around you.
If your mental state is mostly positive, you’ll be better able to cope with the stresses of daily life. This ability may contribute to the widely recognized health benefits of positive thinking.