What does Positivity mean? It is the practice of being positive or optimistic. Is your glass half-empty or half-full? Your answer will reflect your outlook on life along with your attitude towards yourself and others.
Positivity and optimism in life is a “key” to effective stress-management and a healthy life. Having a positive outlook enables us to cope better with stressful situations, which reduce the harmful health effects of stress on the body. And as a healthy body creates a healthy mind, they both work together for optimum health. And, the great thing about positive thinking – you can learn these skills at any time of your life!
When positive thoughts are generated, cortisol decreases and the brain produces serotonin, creating a feeling of well-being. When serotonin levels are normal, one feels happy, calmer, less anxious, more focused and emotionally stable.
On the flip side, the habit of prolonged negative thinking diminishes your brain’s ability to think, reason and form memories. Essentially, it drains your brain’s resources. There is also research that has linked negative thinking to a greater risk of dementia.
It should be noted that being a positive person all the time is unrealistic as we all have difficult life moments. However, positive thinking helps you approach unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You are able to think the best result in life is going to happen, not the worst outcome.
Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. As we all have an endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through our heads daily, these thoughts can be positive or negative. Some self-talk can come from logic or reason while others might arise from misconceptions that we create.
If you want to become more optimistic and engage in more positive thinking here are some ways to begin:
- Identify areas to change
- Evaluate your thoughts
- Open yourself up to more humor in life
- Follow a healthy lifestyle
- Practice positive self-talk
There are also many ways you can practice positivity:
- By using affirmations
- By reminding yourself to focus on the good things in life
- By doing something nice for someone
- By focusing in the “Now”
- By surrounding yourself with positive people
There are also many benefits of being positive:
- Increased life span
- Lowered rates of depression
- Lowered levels of anxiety and distress
- Improved immune support
- Improved cardiovascular support
- Better mental and physical well-being
- Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
And, if you tend to have a more negative outlook, do not fear. Know that you can change, if you are wanting to do so. With practice you will become less critical and gain more self-acceptance for yourself and the world around you. A positive shift within your mind will lead to improved physical health and an increased level of life happiness.
