Having a positive mindset has been shown to have a beneficial impact on health and wellbeing. Yet culturally, we talk about the rubbish in life, rather than celebrating the successes. We place more emphasis on what’s bad, rather than what’s good.
Jude’s friend had been on an amazing trip. Initially, she recounted the beautiful Indian Ocean, stunning coral reefs and swimming with turtles. Then Jude could almost see her friend’s brain thinking “this is too much, I have to add some rubbish”. Predictably she went on to describe the bad things that had happened – like the journey.
We often hear people describe themselves in a way that emphasises their negative traits. They then follow up with phrases such as “I can’t change” or “a leopard can’t change its spots” which just reinforce the negative.
In contrast, we all have that friend who’s positive. The friend we love spending time with – they’re fun and bring joy to our lives.
If you prefer to read – scroll down past the video and you’ll find our tips there…
How to be Positive
Being positive is a skill set. What if we could train ourselves to be immersed in the good and positive things, rather than the bad? What if we trained ourselves to be like our favourite positive friend? What would life look like?
You can train your brain to be positive and celebrate the good stuff, rather than just looking at the bad. Like all good training, you should set a goal, and set your intention for what you’ll be doing. Give yourself permission to be positive and find ways of honouring the great things in life. Talk about and celebrate the things that light you up.
Training yourself to be positive is not about being falsely positive. It’s about getting balance by looking for the positive things rather than focussing on the bad.
A great way to help you become more positive is to celebrate your wins. We often dismiss a win, because we’re so focused on what we still have left to do. Learning to celebrate all your wins, whether big or small is a great way to train your brain to become more positive. Tracking your wins too, lets you see your progression and reinforces how much you have achieved.
Longevity and Positivity
Having a positive mindset has been shown to have a beneficial impact on health and wellbeing. An American study in 2019 showed that a positive mindset could increase lifespan by 11-15% and increased the chance of living to at least 85 years. These increases were independent of other lifestyle factors.
Positive thinking benefits our health and wellbeing massively and the great news is there is a lot you can do to boost your positivity. If you’re struggling to be positive, contact us and find out how we can help you.
