What if You Focused on the Positive as Much as the Negative?
Take a moment and look at how often you choose to focus on the positive
instead of the negatives. When you think of your life, is the glass half empty
or half full?
Perspective is everything, and if you choose to remain negative, you are
inviting
negative thoughts
to cloud your judgment and rob you of positivity.
By Samantha Kellgren
Here we’ll give you the important reasons you must put an end to negative thinking and choose to focus on all things positive.
What life is like when we focus on the positive more than we do the negative? This kind of attitude switch can actually make you healthier, open you up to new possibilities, and increase your creativity.
How it makes us healthier
Drinking water, exercising regularly and eating whole foods are well-known ways to improve your health. But—get this—so is thinking positively!
A positive mindset has been shown to have a direct impact on your health. According to the Mayo Clinic, you can expect everything from an increased lifespan to a lower rate of depression and a stronger resistance from the common cold.
Lisa Yanek, M.P.H. of Johns Hopkins, found in her study that, “People with a family history of heart disease who also had a positive outlook were one-third less likely to have a heart attack or other cardiovascular event within five to 25 years than those with a more negative outlook.”
Who would have thought?!
The world is full of possibility
A positive outlook will open up your world. When we focus on negative events and aspects of our life, we’re not only dwelling on the past, but closing off the future. Who wants to dream about the future when you only see the bad?
However, when you see positive outcomes and feel positive emotions; joy, love, excitement, you can see more possibilities in your future and the world around you. Have you ever met a Dreamer that was a Debbie Downer?
Benefits of being more creative
Positivity and creativity go hand in hand. A positive state of mind can enhance your creativity by encouraging a state of “flow”, which has been compared to the sensation and de-stressing benefits of traditional meditation.
It’s been shown that when you take part in a creative project—cooking, knitting, painting, writing, etc.—you can enter the state of “flow.” There, you can immerse yourself completely, and contentedly, without self-conscience. This “flow” is a positive and happy setting, allowing you to explore your creativity and improve your self-esteem.
3 Ways to become more positive
It is one thing to tell people to “be more positive.” However, what does that look like? Here are three simple things you can do today to develop a more positive mindset.
Smile – Even if you don’t feel like it, the act of smiling sends messages to your brain that spark the release of dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins; the happy neurotransmitters.
Create – As I mentioned above, getting crafty puts your brain in a state of flow, allowing happiness and positivity to envelop you. Don’t know where to start? Grab a copy of my e-book Positivity Through Creativity and get started on one of 52 short creative projects today!
Pass it Forward – Helping others gets you out of your pity party and puts things in perspective. It feels good to make someone smile, make a task easier, or simply connect with a stranger. Aim to do one nice thing—no matter how small—for someone each day!