The next time someone asks you if the glass is half-empty or half-full, take a second before you answer. Your mentality on that concept, and everything else in life for that matter, has the power to impact your well-being. Over the years, studies have proven that choosing to see life through a positive lens rather than a negative one truly changes the overall quality of living, and being optimistic is not meant to be an inspirational reminder on a bad day; but rather, it should be a lifestyle.
This is how positive thinking affects mental and physical health:
Strengthens immune system
Besides an apple a day, a positive thought also keeps the doctor away. Positive thinking increases the flow of immune cells the body produces to combat foreign elements and oxidants, which makes you less susceptible to illness. Subsequently, it acts as a preventative measure against serious diseases such as cancer and AIDS since positive thinking reduces inflammation and maintains the balance of your body’s hormones. Negative thinking, on the other hand, weakens the immune system and even accelerates the aging process.
Prolongs longevity of life
People with positive attitudes far outlive those with pessimistic perspectives. That’s because positive thinking promotes living a healthier lifestyle and making choices that prioritize well-being. For example, optimism is contagious. If you deliberately choose to see the brighter side of life, you attract like-minded people who share the same perspectives which can lead to developing more meaningful interpersonal relationships. Alternatively, you will feel more motivated to take care of yourself by eating healthy and exercising daily to boost your mood and keep your body in tip-top shape.
Lowers the stress response
If you maintain a positive attitude, experiencing stress won’t feel like the end of the world anymore. By focusing on improving one’s circumstances and accepting stress as inherent part of life, you develop the emotional resilience to maturely handle challenges and train your mind to constantly see the bigger picture. However, if you think pessimistically, doing so can lead the development of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. Consequently, this diminishes brain chemical productions of hormones that are necessary to maintaining one’s happiness such as oxytocin and serotonin. Therefore, avoid that scenario by choosing to think positively – it actually helps treat depression and anxiety!
Improves heart health
If home is where the heart is, make sure it’s a healthy one. According to a study from Health Behavior and Policy Review, positive thinking lowers the risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure. Furthermore, individuals with that had positive mindsets and attitudes had regulated cholesterol levels and hormone balances. Another study from Copenhagen City Heart Study found that men who had high levels of stress were 32% more likely to die prematurely than men who did not, and women who found the glass half-full were 9% less likely to suffer a heart attack.
Positive thinking isn’t just about completely avoiding the negative or painful parts of life or pretending that everything is okay when it obviously is not the case. Rather, it’s about accepting one’s circumstances but still choosing to look towards the bright side of things. Positivism can even be a great tool when overcoming such obstacles as obesity or addiction. Deliberately engaging in positive thinking will help you take the steps forward to living a life that is fulfilling and happy. Who wouldn’t want that?
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