Embrace the power of positive thinking. Here’s how

Having a glass-half-full mentality will not magically make your concerns go away, but it can help you navigate any unpleasant situation and improve your health.  

It's easy, in times of great turbulence and uncertainty, to be pessimistic and wallow in despair.  When things look bleak, we tend to get swept up in a sea of negative thoughts, but shifting to a positive mindset could have a more profound impact on your health and overall wellbeing. 

In fact, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine found that people with a family history of heart disease, who also exhibit a positive outlook in life, were one-third less likely to have a heart attack or other cardiovascular episode within five to 25 years than those with a more negative outlook. 

Dr Lisa Yanek, who authored the study, says the connection between health and positivity might be down to the fact that people with a positive mindset make better health and life decisions, and focus more on long-term goals. In addition, studies find that negative emotions can weaken immune response. 

What is positive thinking 

Thinking positively is not about being naïve or oblivious of the difficult or unpleasant situations that come your way. Rather, it is about recognising those situations, but approaching them in a more constructive and productive way. So instead of seeing the glass half-empty, you see it half-full. 

To a significant extent, hope and optimism play a big part in one’s ability to embrace positive thinking and navigate setbacks in life. According to the University of Kansas Health System, hope is the process of setting goals and following through on them, while optimism is a positive thought pattern.

“Hope helps people better cope with difficult or stressful times and adapt better to serious illness. People with hope don't just wish for something good to happen – they have a concrete plan to make it happen,” the health system explained on its website.

“Optimism is simply a way of thinking about life, which includes the following beliefs: things will work out reasonably well; even during troubles, life is still good; there is almost always a way to get the job done; and life can be improved through effort.”

Steps to positivity

Mindset shifts don’t happen overnight because we all have different experiences, situations, and perspectives in life. But our brain can be trained and it has the ability to learn even as we age. So be consistent and continue practicing these steps so you can successfully adopt a positive attitude regardless of the circumstances.

• Recognise negative thought patterns – Our evolutionary thought processes, which was influenced by ancestral environments, have roots in two main goals: survival and reproduction, according to PsychCentral. It’s no surprise that negative thoughts often come first in our mind because our brains evolved to recognise danger. But negative thought patterns can be unhelpful, irrational, and distracting. Before these thoughts spiral out of control, hit the pause button. Sit, relax, take a deep breath, and reframe your negative thoughts. The UK’s NHS defines reframing as learning to think more flexibly and being more in control. “If you can learn to identify and separate unhelpful thoughts from helpful ones, you can find a different way to look at the situation.”

• Practice positive self-talk –  Mayo Clinic defines self-talk as “the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head”. Simply put, it is our inner voice. And they may come from logic and reason, but at times from misconceptions due to preconceived ideas of what may happen. When reflecting on your self-talk, the clinic advises on treating yourself like you would a friend. You should also follow one simple rule: Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to anyone else. “Be gentle and encouraging. Look closer at negative thoughts and respond with affirmations about what you’re doing right.” 

• Consider setbacks as inflection points – When you’re down and out, it seems easier to throw in the towel. But Harvard Business Review suggests you should see them as a turning point. “Make peace with the fact that we cannot control of predict the future despite our vivid imagination and best laid plans. When things don’t go according to plan, cultivate the ability to see adversity as an inflection point, rather than a reason to abandon hope.”

Choose to be grateful – Taking a moment each day to acknowledge the things, situations, and relationships in your life can brighten your mood and improve your outlook. You can do this by setting aside a few minutes every morning before you start your day or at night before you go to bed for reflection. Shining a spotlight on these moments of positivity will not only shift your mind away from negative thoughts, but also give you the resilience to cope with challenges.