One in five US adults lives with a mental illness, but despite how common mental health issues are, many people find it difficult to build coping strategies that last.
While the power of positive thinking is not a final solution, it is a concept for dealing with life's ups and downs that is focused on finding the good — despite the challenges we encounter. This article will explore key concepts of positive psychology that experts have found to be effective for the human brain.
Positive Psychology
Positive psychology describes an approach to mental health and human thoughts that examines the positives — the strengths in our thoughts, feelings and behavior, rather than the weaknesses. Positive psychology does not aim to ignore negative thoughts, however it encourages built resilience, and positive problem-solving habits.
Research shows that building resilience and positive thinking doesn't happen overnight. It requires mental and physical effort, with time to let changes occur naturally. Touching on earlier, the first step in attaining a positive attitude is to believe that you deserve to be happy. Therefore, training your brain to believe that happiness is something you deserve, and is an experience that is in your reach, is a promising step for a happy outcome. Once a person has achieved the benefits of positive psychology, they will gain resilience, mental clarity, greater physical health and mental health, and overall well-being.
Physical Habits for Maintaining a Positive Attitude
A positive mindset can be achieved when physical health supports emotional and mental well-being. Practicing positive psychology helps you uncover daily habits you may have not noticed before. Participants in studies on physical activity have found that maintaining a regular exercise routine improves self-confidence, self-awareness, social relationships, and body image.
Caring for your physical health helps to stimulate the production of endorphins, which help to relieve pain, reduce stress and improve overall well-being. In addition, exercise has been proven to strengthen the body's immune system, minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure, and boost brain health and function.
By optimizing brain health by improving your quality of life, you open the door to hope and positivity for future thinking, while also stabilizing the body by remaining present.
Other physical practices have also proven effective in maintaining a healthy mind-connection. For instance, ice baths aid mindfulness while soothing muscles, acupuncture and massage therapy enhance energy flow and reduce stress, and physical therapy helps people adopt positive thinking to live healthier lives.
People with a positive mindset feel more inclined to be kind to one another, speak positively about themselves, and feel more confident in making changes. A healthy combination of cognitive thought practice, social interaction, and physical activity is essential to positive psychology and maintaining a positive attitude.
Cultivating a Positive Mindset
Research has shown that cultivating a positive mindset relies on healthy habits. While we have discussed physical habits, there are also mental strategies that you can enforce in your day-to-day life.
Meditation, for example, improves cognitive and emotional wellness by helping the brain stay present in the moment.
Staying present throughout the day prevents spiraling into negative thinking and helps you more efficiently return to the present.
Self-affirmation is another useful technique for fostering a positive mindset. People who are self-aware in a positive way are more open to change and improvement in their lives.
Gratitude, practiced though journalling or affirmations, significantly boosts the ability to think positively. Acknowledging your current existing blessings is key to adding value and compassion to your life.
Positive psychology also helps reframe past negative experiences. The process of cognitive reframing, used by psychologists, helps people pinpoint unhelpful and helpful thought patterns, and learn the habit of choosing to be positive. For example, a breakup could be reframed as an opportunity for self-improvement and exploration, rather than a heartache that cannot be resolved.
Workplace Positivity
A positive attitude is important and necessary to maintain independently, however it is also important to feel like your workplace is supportive of your health and well-being. An emphasis on workplace positivity is important as we spend so much of our time at work. Positive psychology at work incorporates a sense of belonging, purpose, fair pay, open communication, and access to healthcare on a regular basis.
A positive workplace is one of the main contributors to reduced burn out, increased productivity, and overall job satisfaction. In particularly stressful workplaces, like healthcare settings, positive psychology is crucial to employee well-being. Those qualified with an online DNP often work to emphasize and enforce the importance of leadership in creating positive work environments in this sector.
Adopting a positive attitude brings numerous benefits, such as improved cognitive and physical health, better social and professional relationships, and an enhanced sense of self and quality of life. Positive people aren't those free from struggles, but those who take positive action to make changes and feel better.
Incorporate small acts of positivity into your life through strategies such as mindfulness and meditation, working on your physical health and wellness, reframing negative thoughts with cognitive interventions, self-affirmations, or daily gratitude.
