Desist From Being Negative, And Begin To Enjoy Your Life In A Positive Way!

Given my resolve to always interpret the aphorism that “Journalists like to joke that they know a little bit about everything and a lot about nothing”, particularly with the cognizance of the fact that journalists not only provide the information to the people but they also educate people by providing guidance on various .issues through the editorials and columns, I am inspired to express my view on the need for people to live life with positive mindsets, and thus eliminate stress.

Sequel to the fulfillment of the foregoing resolve, permit me to say that the background materials used in developing this piece were majorly sourced from Mayo Clinic’s website.

Therefore, it is expedient to say that if there is any practice that can improve anyone’s health, it is unarguably that of thinking positively. There is no denying the fact that it is always good to overcome negative self-talk in one’s life.

To understand the retrogressive or progressive impact of self-talk, it is expedient to ask “Is your glass half-empty or half-full?” How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you are optimistic or pessimistic, and it may even affect your health.

Indeed, some studies show that personality traits such as optimism and pessimism can affect many areas of your health and well-being. The positive thinking that usually comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits. If you tend to be pessimistic, don't despair, you can learn positive thinking skills.

In fact, positive thinking does not mean that you ignore life's less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst.

Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information or expectations due to preconceived ideas of what may happen.

If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you're likely an optimist that is someone who practices positive thinking.

Researchers have continued to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include: reduced risk of death from infections. Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

It is unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body.

It is also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles as they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and don't smoke or drink alcohol in excess.

It cannot be argued that you magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all the positive ones. For example, you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. That evening, you focus only on your plan to do even more tasks and forget about the compliments you received.

Analyzing it from a personal perspective, when something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you.

Catastrophizing the disappointment, you automatically anticipate the worst without facts that the worse will happen. The drive-through eateries gets your order wrong, and then you think that the rest of your day will be a disaster. As you resort to blame game, you say someone else is responsible for what happened to you instead of yourself. You avoid being responsible for your thoughts and feelings.

Saying you "should" do something. You think of all the things you think you should do and blame yourself for not doing them.

Magnifying the situation, you make a big deal out of minor problems. Resorting to perfectionism, you keep impossible standards and trying to be more perfect sets yourself up for failure, and while feeling that you are been polarized, you see things only as either good or bad. There is no middle ground.

Be that as it may, you can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it does take time and practice, you are creating a new habit, after all. Following are some ways to think and behave in a more positive and optimistic way:

First and foremost, it is expedient you Identify areas to change. If you want to become more optimistic and engage in more positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you usually think negatively about, whether it's work, your daily commute, life changes or a relationship. You can start small by focusing on one area to approach in a more positive way. Think of a positive thought to manage your stress instead of a negative one.

To sustain a positive mindset in life, always check yourself, preferably periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you are thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them, and be open to humor by giving yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed.

There also need to follow a healthy lifestyle, and aim to exercise for about 30 minutes on most days of the week. You can also break it up into 5- or 10-minute chunks of time during the day. Exercise can positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. Get enough sleep, and learn techniques to manage stress.

Surround yourself with positive people, make sure those in your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. This is as negative people may increase your stress level and make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.

In a similar vein, practice positive self-talk by following one simple rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you would not say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you. Think about things you are thankful for in your life.

At this juncture, below are some examples of negative self-talk and how you can apply a positive thinking twist to them: For instance, “I’ve never done it before” can be changed to “It's an opportunity to learn something new”, “It's too complicated” can be changed to “I'll tackle it from a different angle”. “I don't have the resources” can be changed to “Necessity is the mother of invention”, “I'm too lazy to get this done” can be changed to “I couldn't fit it into my schedule, but I can re-examine some priorities” and “There's no way it will work” can be changed to “I can try to make it work”.

Also in a similar vein, is “It's too radical a change” can be changed to “Let's take a chance”, “No one bothers to communicate with me”, can be changed to “I'll see if I can open the channels of communication” and “I'm not going to get any better at this” can be changed to “I'll give it another try”.

To this end, if you tend to have a negative outlook, don't expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. You may also become less critical of the world around you.

When your state of mind is generally optimistic, you are better able to handle everyday stress in a more constructive way. That ability may contribute to the widely observed health benefits of positive thinking.