Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this classic question about positive thinking can reveal a lot about your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you tend to be optimistic or pessimistic. It might even have an impact on your health.
Studies have shown that traits like optimism and pessimism can affect various aspects of your health and well-being. The positive thinking that comes with optimism plays a big role in managing stress, and good stress management is linked to many health benefits. If you tend to be more pessimistic, don’t worry—you can still learn how to think more positively.
Understanding Positive Thinking and Self-Talk
Positive thinking doesn’t mean ignoring life’s challenges. It simply means approaching tough situations in a more positive and productive way. Instead of expecting the worst, you focus on the best possible outcome.
Positive thinking often begins with self-talk, which is the constant stream of thoughts running through your mind. These thoughts can be either positive or negative. Some of them come from logic and reason, while others might stem from misunderstandings or preconceived ideas about what might happen.
If your thoughts are mostly negative, it’s likely that your outlook on life is more pessimistic. But if your thoughts lean toward the positive, you’re probably an optimist—someone who practices positive thinking.
The Health Benefits of Positive Thinking
Researchers are still studying how positive thinking and optimism impact health. Some of the health benefits that positive thinking may offer include:
- A longer life
- Lower rates of depression
- Less distress and pain
- Stronger resistance to illnesses
- Better mental and physical health
- Improved heart health and a lower risk of heart disease and stroke
- Lower risk of cancer-related death
- Reduced risk of death from respiratory issues and infections
- Better coping skills during tough times and stress
While it’s not completely clear why positive thinking leads to these health benefits, one theory is that having an optimistic mindset helps you handle stress better, which reduces its harmful effects on your body.
It’s also believed that positive, optimistic people tend to live healthier lives—they’re more active, eat better, and are less likely to smoke or drink too much.
Identifying Negative Thinking
Not sure if your self-talk is positive or negative? Here are some common examples of negative self-talk:
- Filtering: You focus only on the negative parts of a situation and ignore the positives. For example, you have a great day at work, finish your tasks ahead of time, and get complimented for doing a thorough job. But that evening, you only think about how much more you could do and forget about the compliments you received.
- Personalizing: When something bad happens, you automatically blame yourself. For example, if a night out with friends is canceled, you might assume it’s because no one wanted to be around you.
- Catastrophizing: You expect the worst to happen without any real evidence. For example, if the coffee shop gets your order wrong, you might think the rest of your day is going to be a disaster.
- Blaming: You point the finger at someone else for what happened, instead of taking responsibility for your own thoughts and feelings.
- Saying you “should” do something: You focus on all the things you think you should be doing and then blame yourself for not doing them.
- Magnifying: You blow small problems out of proportion.
- Perfectionism: Trying to meet impossible standards sets you up for failure.
- Polarizing: You see things as either all good or all bad, with no middle ground.
Focusing on Positive Thinking
You can definitely learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. It’s simple, but it takes time and practice because you’re building a new habit. Here are some ways to start thinking and behaving in a more positive and optimistic way:
- Identify areas to change: If you want to think more positively, start by recognizing the areas of your life where you tend to think negatively, like work, your daily commute, big life changes, or relationships. Pick one area to focus on and try to approach it more positively. For example, when you feel stressed, try replacing negative thoughts with a positive one.
- Check yourself: Throughout the day, stop and check what you’re thinking. If you notice mostly negative thoughts, try to find a way to think about things more positively.
- Be open to humor: Allow yourself to smile or laugh, even when things are tough. Look for humor in everyday situations. Laughing can help reduce stress and lighten your mood.
- Follow a healthy lifestyle: Aim for 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. You can break it up into smaller chunks if that works better for you. Exercise can boost your mood and lower stress. Also, eat a healthy diet, get enough sleep, and learn how to manage stress.
- Surround yourself with positive people: Make sure you’re spending time with people who are supportive and uplifting. Negative people can increase your stress and make it harder to stay positive.
- Practice positive self-talk: Follow this simple rule: Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to someone else. Be kind and encouraging. When negative thoughts pop up, challenge them and replace them with affirmations about your strengths. Think about the things you’re grateful for in life.
Also Read: How do I Stay Motivated When My Goals Feel Too Far Away?
Here are some examples of how to turn negative self-talk into positive thinking:
| Negative self-talk | Positive thinking |
|---|---|
| I’ve never done it before. | It’s an opportunity to learn something new. |
| It’s too complicated. | I’ll try a different approach. |
| I don’t have the resources. | I’ll find a way to make it work. |
| I’m too lazy to get this done. | I couldn’t fit it in, but I can re-evaluate my priorities. |
| There’s no way it will work. | I can try to make it work. |
| It’s too big of a change. | I’ll take a chance. |
| No one communicates with me. | I’ll try to open up the lines of communication. |
| I’m never going to get better at this. | I’ll give it another try. |
By changing how you think, you can change how you feel and respond to life.
Practicing Positive Thinking Every Day
If you usually have a negative outlook, don’t expect to become an optimist right away. But with practice, your self-talk will gradually become less self-critical and more accepting. Over time, you might also find that you’re less critical of the world around you.
When you have a generally optimistic mindset, you’ll handle everyday stress in a healthier and more positive way. This ability to stay calm and positive may be one of the reasons why positive thinking is linked to so many health benefits.