The age-old question to determine if you’re a pessimist or an optimist is whether you see the glass as half-empty or half-full. This adage is about more than just a glass, as it can demonstrate your outlook on life. Most people don’t understand the direct connection between a positive mindset and your overall health, but it’s essential to realize your thoughts’ impact on you.
Some folks think that you must ignore the bad things that happen to you to stay positive. There’s no way around those bad days, but it’s all about your attitude and how you handle these situations. The first way to be positive is to use self-talk to combat negative thought processes.
Negative self-talk happens because you have numerous misconceptions running through your mind, and you may also lack information and jump to conclusions.
All these unspoken thoughts that race through your mind will either be positive or negative and if you have more bad than good thoughts, it shows your mindset. Alas, it doesn’t mean all hope is lost. You have the power to change your mindset and your entire life.
Jumping to Conclusions
When these negative thoughts come your way, you can counter them with something positive. For instance, you’re sitting in the breakroom, and a coworker walks in, and it’s someone with whom you don’t have a good relationship.
You instantly start having ruminating thoughts about why this person doesn’t like you, as you did nothing to them. By the end of lunch, you’re sure that they hate you. The truth is this person is timid and doesn’t talk much because of their insecurities.
Your mind concocted a whole scenario that wasn’t true based on misinformation. See how easy it is to get your mind off on the wrong track? But what if you looked at this person in a different light?
Would it change how you feel and the dynamics between you two? You could be missing out on a remarkable friendship because someone doesn’t act or talk in a way that you find acceptable.
Why a Positive Mindset Is Better
You know that walking in positivity is the best way to live, but you need reasons why you should change your mentality. Here are some ways that a positive mindset can make you a better person and enhance your entire life.
1. You’ll Live Longer if You Keep a Positive Mindset
It sounds too good to be accurate, but research has proven that if you stress less, you will live longer. When you’re constantly fretting about the day-to-day occurrences in your life, then you’re going to cause more inflammation in your body. According to a study conducted by the Mayo Clinic, you have a fifty percent less chance of dying early when you have a positive mindset.
Their study was conducted over thirty years, and they found that those folks who stayed positive had a much better life and better health than those who were pessimistic.
2. You’ll Have Better Self-Esteem
Have you ever considered the first thoughts of your morning? If you wake up and start thinking about how bad your head and back hurt, as well as all the things on your to-do list, you defeat yourself before you even begin. Your attitude is a significant indication of your overall feelings of self.
If you think positively, you can increase your self-esteem and learn to see yourself in a more positive light. Your first thoughts of the day should be that you have breath in your body, food on your table, and are going to have a wonderful day. Changing how you think can increase your esteem and put a boost in your step.
An attitude of gratitude is always more appealing to others and the Universe.
3. You’re Less Likely to Struggle with Depression
Depression you experience can be circumstantial or genetics. Some situations are out of your control, and it’s challenging to have optimism when you’re dealing with job loss, death, or another major upheaval. However, having a negative mindset can cause you great distress.
Did you know that according to studies from the National Library of Medicine, negative people have a higher rate of being depressed? When you dwell on the harmful and toxic things in your life, they will consume your mind. Negativity is like cancer that grows and takes over an area decaying everything it touches.
Once you allow these toxins to start growing in your mind, it won’t be long until it takes over and poisons the good.
4. A Positive Mindset Attracts New Opportunities
Let’s assume that you received a pink slip from your job. You’re angry, bitter, and feel like life has given you a significant blow. The positive person would realize that there are many jobs out there, and it’s just a matter of time till you find another one.
However, the negative person will think of all the bills coming due, and impending doom will set in. You will immediately begin searching for new employment, but your attitude could dictate how quickly that process happens. If you go to interviews with a negative attitude and talk about how wrong the other company did you, the prospective employer will be less likely to hire you.
If you’re bad-mouthing your old company, then they feel that you could also do the same to their business. However, if you walk into an interview, act thankful for the experiences you’ve been given, and are happy to start the next chapter, things could be quite different. Employers judge a book by its cover, as it’s all they can go by initially.
When you put your best foot forward, you’re more likely to have people and good things attracted to you. Optimism is so much more appealing than pessimism, and basking in a positive nature will allow the world to be your oyster.
5. You’ll Have Better Coping Skills
Positive coping tactics are measures you take to control and reduce the stresses you face so that they will not be harmful or damaging to you in the long term. People who use these positive approaches are not only better able to confront challenges, but they’re also able to bounce back from these challenging times.
Additionally, they can be much happier even though their world isn’t perfect. Coping tactics are these tiny aids you develop that help you bounce back in life. Inevitably, things will not always go your way, and you will face some storms.
However, when you have good coping skills in place, you can manage and reduce these situations’ impact on you. For instance, your coping mechanism may be to meditate and call a trusted mentor when you feel overwhelmed. This is certainly better than hitting the local bar and drinking till you pass out or burying your head in a container of ice cream.
A positive mindset will help you bounce back and lessen the impact of whatever comes your way.
6. People Will Want to Be Around You
Positivity will attract more people to you, and you will have more friends than you know what to do within your life. No one wants to hang around someone who is all about doom and gloom, as it can be a lot to handle. Do you have a friend or relative that’s just exhausting to be around?
You may learn to avoid this person because they always seem like a wet blanket that appears to smolder the life out of everyone. People are attracted to those that make them feel better about life and themselves. You’re going to find that the positive people in life have larger inner circles, and people want to be around them because they’re enjoyable and make you feel good.
7. You’ll Have More Motivation with a Positive Mindset
A positive mindset can help you accomplish all the dreams and goals you have for your life. Everyone has a bucket list, and it takes motivation to cross things off this list. Positivity puts fuel in your tank and pushes you forward when you don’t think you can go another mile.
When obstacles come your way, it encourages you to keep going. It helps you to be motivated to get all the things you want. You can do far more than you ever imagined possible when you believe in yourself.
Final Thoughts on Adopting a Positive Mindset
When your brain adopts a positive mindset, you’ll have greater resilience and resourcefulness. You’ll easily set goals and achieve them, as well as live longer and better. It doesn’t mean those nasty things won’t happen to you, but it means that you will have an effective coping mechanism to help you overcome them.
Do you see the glass as half-empty or half-full, and what can you do to change your perceptions? You can do and become more than you ever thought possible if only you alter how you feel.
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