Positive Thinking

When it comes to finding medical information online, I always turn to the Mayo Clinic. I find them more comprehensive than any other site and as a hospital,they are obviously very well respected. While surfing their site I found a wonderful article on what positive thinking can do for you.

Some of the highlights include:

Understanding Positive Thinking and Self Talk

The health benefits of positive thinking

Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

Increased life span
Lower rates of depression
Lower levels of distress
Greater resistance to the common cold
Better psychological and physical well-being
Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
It's 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's also thought that positive and optimistic people live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and have reduced rates of smoking and alcohol consumption.

Identifying Negative Thinking

Focusing on Positive Thinking

Examples of How to Turn Negative Self Talk into Positive Thinking:

Examples of typical negative self-talk and how you might apply a positive twist include:

Negative self-talk Positive spin
I've never done it before. It's an opportunity to learn something new.
It's too complicated. I'll tackle it from a different angle.
I don't have the resources. Necessity is the mother of invention.
I'm too lazy to get this done. I wasn't able to fit it into my schedule but can re-examine some priorities.
There's no way it will work. I can try to make it work.
It's too radical a change. Let's take a chance.
No one bothers to communicate I'll see if I can open the channels of communication.
with me.
I'm not going to get any better I'll give it another try.
at this.

Practicing Positive Thinking Every Day

We all have that little voice inside our head that whispers to us (and sometimes SCREAMS at the top of "our" lungs) and color the way we see everything in our lives. Attributed to the Mayo Clinic Staff, this article is a tool that anyone can use to evaluate the way we talk to ourselves and how we view our circumstances. It gives us insights on how to change our thinking. Glass Half Full/Glass Half Empty, it's our choice and this article can help turn off the negative voice and turn up the positive voice.