Health Benefits and Positive Thinking are Correlated. You can Improve your Health by Being a predominant Positive Thinker. Simply Effective! Because Positive thinking is a major contributor to Stress management. Therefore, it can significantly improve your Health. Today, everywhere, in our schools, workplaces, homes, in your cars when on the roads, and everywhere else can be experienced as Stressful. Wherever there are people, there can be Stressful Situations.
Are you someone who sees the glass as half Full, rather than half Empty? Do you usually look at life through Grey glasses, rather than Rose glasses? The way you respond to situations, your Interpretation of events informs how you feel Emotionally. The Meaning you give to Circumstances, informs how you Think about what someone else has Said to you. Or, Done to you. How you Evaluate your Body Sensations in the face of malignant or benign provocation also informs if your Fight, Flight or Freeze Mechanism will be Activated, or Not. The Situation or Event is of little, or no Consequence. How you Chose to React, or Respond is King or Queen.
Here is a Video on the Power of the Correlation between Health Benefits and Positive Thinking
What Does Health Benefits and Positive Thinking Look Like?
Positive thinking and Optimism are synonymous. Especially within the context of Effective stress Management. And, Effective Stress Management is correlated with various Health Benefits. Many people think when one is encouraged to be predominantly Optimistic, or become a Positive Thinker, it means ignoring Less Positive, or outright Negative thoughts, emotions, behaviors, or circumstances. Another subset of people think being predominantly Optimistic means Living a Pollyanna Life. Oh no!
Optimism, and Positive Thinking go far beyond these interpretations. Positive thinking means you approach Unpleasant Events, or Circumstances in life with more optimism than the average person who is a Predominant Negative Thinker – Pessimistic. When you approach a Negative, or Less Positive situation with optimism, you are More Calm and Productive. Being completely steeped in the negativity of the situation prohibits, or limits you from Seeing and/or Recognizing Possibilities.
Being Optimistic in your approach to less positive situations, broadens your horizon even in the face of Despair, which in turn allows you see and recognize Options, Possibilities, Solutions and/or Resolutions. Negativity fosters Tunnel Vision, which excludes all possibilities, except the option you are focused on. What you say to yourself will promote health benefits and positive thinking, or Not.
How Self Talk promotes Health Benefits and Positive Thinking, or Not?
Believe it, or not! All thinking whether Positive or Negative thinking often start with Conscious or Unconscious Self-Talk. This is usually the origin. So, then, what is self talk exactly? It is a Stream of Unspoken Words, Images, Scenes, or Pictures that flow through your head consciously, or unconsciously. These unspoken thoughts can be Logical, Rational, Reasonable and Helpful. Sometimes, self talk could be imbued with irrational ideas and cognitive biases that are not helpful – unhelpful thinking due to misconceived notions, and preconceived predictions about the Future.
During a less positive moment, it usually seems there are no benefits to Positive Thinking or Optimism. Because when we feel angry, sad, frustrated, annoyed, disgusted, or anxious, our intuitive reaction is to get away from these negative Feelings and Emotions. Stop! You need to learn to see the benefits in sitting with negative feelings and emotions. The Main thing is to acknowledge these uncomfortable feelings and emotions. And then, proceed from there. Let me give you an Metaphor to further explain what I mean.
A Case Study Scenario/Metaphor
You, a parent are in your bedroom. Your bedroom door is closed, or locked. And, in your bedroom you have a stack of chocolate cookies or biscuits. Your 7 year old child knows about these stash. He comes to your bedroom door, and knocks. But, you do not respond because you know what he is looking for. You have trained your child in such a way he does not try to open your bedroom door except he hears “come in…”
He keeps knocking because he wants a cookie. And he will not go away because he has not gotten a response from you. You hold out for a while. But his persistent knocking begins to create internal tension for you. So, you open the door, “what do you want Daniel?” Daniel responds “a cookie mama…” And, you let him into your room, and you say “no, Daniel not now… but I will think about it and may be sometime next week, you can have a biscuit…” Daniel goes away, happily.
Interpretations and Conclusions Of The Above Case Study/Metaphor
Daniel went away because you acknowledged him, engaged with him briefly. Therefore, he was able to move on. Similarly when we invite Negative Thoughts, Pessimism, or Pain and Hurt, it is most productive, although counterintuitive to sit with these Thoughts and associate Feelings and Emotions for a while. Then, the Negative Thinking can move on. Thoughts, and attitudes are correlated with emotions and feelings, as well as body sensations. Creating space for them eases up tension, so they can move on. Just like Daniel did.
Examples of Positive Thinking
Positive thinking helps you change your attitude towards Whatever Situation or Environment encountered. Sometimes being overly optimistic might cause issues for us. This is referred to as Toxic Positivity. But first, lets look at some examples of Optimistic, and Positive Thinking:
- Having a good time even when things don’t go as planned.
- Looking at the bright side after a huge loss.
- Meditating when feeling overwhelmed.
- Feeling joyful and thankful even when you are lacking.
- Finding worthwhile pastimes when stuck at home, office or in traffic.
- Being happy for another person’s success.
- Practicing self care after a failure at work, or school.
Toxic Positivity
Relentless Positivity is being Strongly geared towards what is Right, as well as adopting Emotional Agility to deal with world as it is. Positive thinking that recognizes and acknowledges Reality has the potential to be beneficial eventually. Because, having Hope fosters Growth, which in turn improves Health and Wellbeing. Toxic Positivity refers to relentless positivity without acknowledging Reality, Uncomfortable and Painful Emotions. And, a disconnect from Reality. that is, toxic positivity involves the suppression of negative feelings, and emotions no matter the situations that can lead to Invalidation of one’s Experiences, Isolation, Maladaptive Coping, and Traumatization. And in some cases, Re-traumatization.
Why Learn Positive Thinking and Optimism?
Some individuals are more inclined to be positive thinker and optimistic. Others may not be so inclined. Hold on! No worries. I am not finished yet. If you feel you are not naturally predisposed to be a Positive Thinker. This doesn’t mean you cannot learn and cultivate the capacity so see positive possibilities and opportunities in life. It takes some practice to become a predominantly Positive Thinker and Optimist. But, with consistent practice, practice, practice, your thinking patterns will start to shift neurologically. That is how we get out of Habitual Cycles, especially distressing ones.
Attributes of a Positive Thinker and Optimist
Here are some characteristics of a Positive thinker:
- Can Visualize Favorable Outcome more readily.
- A positive thinker assumes others are Inherently Good. Therefore, an optimist often believes others have good intentions, rather than ulterior motives all the time.
- Is more often inclined to Interpret Behaviors, or Verbalizations by others as favorable, rather than jump to negative conclusions, frequently.
- You know bad news, events or circumstances do not mean the Entire World, or Everybody is bad. You know good things will continue to happen as well.
Health Benefits and Positive thinking – 13 Ways they Correlate
There are many Health Benefits due to Positive Thinking, and Optimism. These benefits may surprise you. Read over the list and see how the quality of your life can be positively impacted. Here are 13 health benefits and positive thinking correlates:
- Lower blood pressure.
- Increased life span in general.
- Better cognitive functioning such as better problem-solving, and more creative thinking capacity.
- Lower levels of distress and pain
- Greater resistance to illnesses such as having more resistant to the common cold, and flu. And, having a stronger and more efficient immune system.
More information on Health Benefits and Positive Thinking below…
- Better psychological and physical well-being. And, greater malleability to adapt to change in general.
- Lower risk of depression
- Fewer mood swings due to having a more consistent outlook on Life
- Better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease and stroke
- Reduced risk of death from cancer
And here are a few more Health Benefits and Positive Thinking correlates…
- Reduced risk of death from respiratory conditions
- Reduced risk of death from infections
- Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress. That is, better stress management.
15 Tips to Start your Health Benefits and Positive Thinking Journey
If you struggle with positive thinking and optimism, know it will take some time to make the desired shifts in your self-dialogue. The process will likely involve you falling of the wagon. But, then you pick yourself up, and get back to practicing positive self talk. Here are some tips to support you with making these changes:
- Getting plenty of sleep.
- Accepting circumstances as they are, and what you can do for yourself, and sometimes others.
- Developing a morning and evening schedule.
- Identifying areas you need to work on to support you in making these desired changes.
See below for more Tips…
- Being more open to humor, laugh more and smile more.
- Keeping thing real with others and yourself.
- Keeping things real with others and yourself.
- Following a healthy lifestyle.
There are still a few more Tips to read…
- Practicing positive self talk.
- Taking care of your mental and physical health
- Treating yourself often. This is not being egoistic.
- Monitoring yourself, especially your self talk, emotions, feelings and behaviors.
How to Identify Negative Thinking
Sometimes it is easier to changes when you first identify what needs to be changed. Here is a video identifying negative thinking and thinking traps. Note which negative thinking tendencies apply to you.
Video on Identifying Negative Thinking and Thinking Traps
Additional Solutions to Support Positive Thinking, Improves Mental Acuity, Alertness, Mood, Calmness, and Focus.
We have additional Solutions to boost Positive Thinking, Optimism and other Cognitive capacities. This Solution is a Bio Hack. It is a Supplement. Our brain just like our body needs cellular regeneration, repair and maintenance. Below is a video for more information.
Video on Brān® reimagined – Supports Positive Thinking
Disclaimer: The information on this page is not meant to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease. Please consult your mental health, and medical providers before using any of this information. This page is for informational purposes only.
My Take. My Conclusion on the Health Benefits and Positive Thinking…
Because I have the opportunity of working a in medical clinic, I see very clearly the Mind-Body connection. I see how untreated, or poorly treated medical conditions very easily morph into mental health challenges. Conversely, when psychosocial stressors are not properly managed, physical/medical conditions tend to precipitate. There is no need to overemphasize the importance of positive thinking. The way we appraise situations, and what people say to us informs how we feel, and act or behave. When you think positively predominantly, you feel and act positively predominantly. We all can chose to be positive thinkers. That is, focus on positivity. Acknowledge the negative, but not dwell on it for too long. Because what we play like a broken record, we unintentionally feed and nourish.
Do you fall into the Negative Thinking Trap?
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