There is some evidence that an optimistic, positive attitude can actually help keep you healthy. A number of studies suggest that having an optimistic attitude—the general feeling that good things will happen—may improve cholesterol levels, boost your immune response, and lower your risk of death from conditions like heart disease. Even if you’re not a particularly positive person, here are four ways to help boost positive thinking.
Good luck! We’ll be trying out these strategies ourselves!
Be Grateful
Every day, spend a few minutes thinking about—or writing down—the people and things you’re grateful for. Some people do this in bed before going to sleep. Some research shows that focusing on gratitude can make you feel happier and reduce stress.
Imagine Your Best Possible Self
Think about how you want your life to turn out—in terms of your personal life and relationships.. Write it down as a story. Then spend five minutes each day imagining that possible future. One study found that people who did this every day for two weeks became more positive in their outlook.
Share Good News
A lot of people naturally turn to friends and family for support when things go wrong. But how about when things go right? Make an effort to share the good news in your life.
Push Back Against Negative Thoughts
When something doesn’t go as planned, is your first thought to blame some part of your personality? Next time that happens, stop yourself and come up with a more specific explanation. For example, if you didn’t exercise like you planned last week, don’t just call yourself “lazy.” Think about what was going on and how it was hard to fit in exercise. Studies have shown that explaining events by focusing on specifics (what you had to do last week) instead of bigger issues that are harder to change (your personality) can help improve your attitude.