Thought: the action or process of thinking.
I have learned a lot about the power of a positive mindset. Incorporating positive thought into my life is an ongoing practice. The effort to maintain a positive mindset is challenged at every turn. Sometimes, I feel like a champion coming out of a situation knowing my mindset controlled an amazing outcome. Sometimes, the weight of negative thoughts is overwhelming. I take a few steps back and recenter so I can develop a constructive, positive thought before acting or making a choice.
Imagine if every thought took a trip to a place where it had motion and became reality. How would you approach your mindset?
I think that the practice of positive thinking would take priority. I believe people would be more mindful when forming thoughts and when making statements. Perhaps, the practice of positive thinking would become as prioritized as physical fitness.
Personally, I would really focus on my internal messaging so I could shape my external reality into a magical and positive place!
Positive thinking won't make problems disappear, but it holds power. Power to change momentum. Maintaining positive thoughts can help to create clarity. With clarity comes vision and calm. Positivity will create energy to balance a situation and generate a positive outcome.
Studies have shown that people who are optimistic, with a general positivity, have significantly lower risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, cancer, infection, and respiratory diseases. That’s powerful, am I right?
Positive thinking is proven to have the following benefits:
Better quality of life
Higher energy levels
Better psychological and physical health
Faster recovery from injury and illness
Fewer colds
Lower rates of depression
Better stress management and coping skills
Longer life span
Coach’s Corner
Here are 9 basic steps you can take toward improved physical and mental well-being through positive thought:
1. Surround yourself with positive friends
o Being positive or negative is very contagious!
o A positive person can light up a room, creating good energy. Surround yourself with THAT kind of energy.
o Being surrounded by positive people can improve your self-esteem.
2. Exercise
o Exercising increases endorphins, dopamine, adrenaline, and endocannabinoid.
o The increase of these chemicals in your brain is associated with feeling confident, happy, capable, and less anxious and stressed.
3. Eat fresh food
o Ultra-processed food can sabotage your happiness and mood.
o Overeating sugar long-term can affect your health, including the risk of depression and anxiety.
o Eating a meal of fresh ingredient whole foods will leave you feeling energized and focused.
4. Practice Gratitude
o Practicing gratitude can help reduce stress and improve self-esteem.
o Gratitude can foster resilience, even during difficult times.
o Practice gratitude daily for what you have; this creates and draws more abundance to you.
o Take a few minutes each day to think of loved ones, moments, or things that bring you comfort or happiness.
o Try to express gratitude to others at least once a day.
5. Laugh
o Be open to humor and laughter every day.
o Laughter and joy lighten your mood and can make a situation seem less complicated.
6. Create a routine to start each day with a happy ritual
o Practice Gratitude!
o Meditate.
o Listen to a happy song or playlist.
o Give yourself a compliment.
o Do something nice for someone else.
7. Focus on the ‘bright side’
o Focus on the good when faced with a challenging situation. If you look hard enough, there will be some positive aspect to the situation you are handling.
o No matter how small it might seem, maintaining focus on the good will create more good energy!
8. Breathe and/or Meditate
o Breathing exercises can have an extremely strong impact on mindset and can assist in managing stress and anxiety.
o The practice of meditation can provide calm and comfort when faced with negative thoughts or emotions.
9. Reframe your thoughts
o When faced with a negative thought, try reframing that thought.
o Write down your thoughts and start asking yourself questions related to those thoughts:
Is the thought fact or opinion?
How will you feel about it tomorrow or in a week?
What would you tell a close friend if they had that thought or emotion?
If the thought is negative, how can it be reframed to a more positive thought or emotion?
Come up with an alternative statement that shifts your thoughts more positively.
For example, reframe a thought like "I'm a failure because I made a mistake” to “I have grown and learned something new that will improve future experiences”.
“INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT WHAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL, SHIFT YOUR ENERGY TO WHAT YOU CAN CREATE.” — ROY T. BENNETT
REFERENCES:
The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Barbara L Fredrickson
Effect of kindness-based meditation on health and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Julieta Galante, Ignacio Galante, Marie-Jet Bekkers, John Gallacher
Go for it! Exercising makes you happy and strong. M Illario, V De Luca, A Cano, D Tramontano
Crum, Alia J., and Ellen J. Langer. 2007. Mindset matters: Exercise and the placebo effect. Psychological Science 18, no. 2: 165-171.
Sugar intake and expectation effects on cognition and mood. Grace E Giles, Benjamin F Avanzato, Belén Mora, Nicole A Jurdak, Robin B Kanarek
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