The Power of Positive Thinking – The science behind it and how it builds resilience
The “power of positive thinking” is a proven concept. The physical and mental benefits of positive thinking have been demonstrated by multiple scientific studies. Research is currently showing that negative thoughts (housed in our brain’s dendrites) are the catalyst for a multitude of mental health issues.
Studies are now indicating that there is much more to positive thinking than just being happy. Forget the fake smile, having positive thoughts can help create real value in your lives while building skills that can last a lifetime. Here are 7 ways to implement the power of positive thinking into your day to day.
1. Positive affirmations
How you start the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. Have you ever woken up late, panicked, and then felt like your whole day went downhill from there? Break the cycle; start your day with positive affirmations. “Today will be a great day” or “I’m going to be the best me today.” You’ll be amazed how much your day improves if you believe it will.
2. Focus on the good things
“You will always find what you are looking for”. If you’re looking for the negative in everything you can be guaranteed you will find it! Life will always through hand grenades at you – it’s how we react & grow through these that makes us who we are. Focus on the benefits of challenging situations, no matter how slight or unimportant they might seem at that time.
3. Find humour in bad situations
Look for humorous moments – even in the most trying of situations. These scenarios usually make for a good story later on (and us extroverts LOVE to tell these stories).
4. Turn challenges into lessons
Real people aren’t perfect and perfect people aren’t real . . . . we’re all going to make mistakes. Instead of focusing on how you didn’t achieve something, think about what you’re going to do next time—turn your situation into an opportunity to learn and grow.
5. Transform negative self-talk into positive self-talk
Negative self-talk can creep up easily on us every day and is often hard to notice. These internal whispers can end up skewing your perception of yourself and eroding your self-worth and self-confidence. When you catch yourself doing this, stop and challenge the thought. “Am I really that bad? What proof is there to support this?”
6. Concentrate on the present
“You can never step into the same river twice . . “ We are talking about the present—not today, not this hour, only this exact moment – right now. You were born with a finite number of heartbeats. Where do you choose to share them? I’d like to be present for them so I constantly remind myself to be here now.
7. Find positive friends, mentors, and co-workers
When you surround yourself with positive people you’ll vicariously soak up positive outlooks, positive stories, and positive reflections about yourself.
Emotions are contagious – go out and catch some positivity today!