It’s easy to give into our stressful lives and feel overwhelmed. Life is crazy and unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean you have to let the negativity of others or the stress of the unknown bring you down. Pause, breathe for a moment and read these 9 reasons why you should be more positive on a daily basis:
- It’s contagious. Nothing makes me happier than seeing my friends’ positive posts on Instagram and Twitter. Whether it’s about fitness, life or love, these little phrases are great motivators and reminders that I would much rather see than someone complaining.
- It’s healthier. Research shows that thinking positively has benefits such as increasing self-confidence, according to the article “How to Become a Positive Thinker” by Kendra Cherry. Being more positive naturally increases your physical and psychological well-being, she says.
- People have it worse than you. It’s important to remind each other that there are other less fortunate people who are living in extremely harsh living conditions. I could complain about the cold weather, but I’m not suffering without food or shelter. Appreciate what you have and remind others to do the same. Get involved in your community and help others in need.
- Say “Hello” to more opportunities. No successful person has gotten to the top without thinking they were going to make it there. Taking risks means you’re going to fail but it’s how you deal with that failure that gets you to the top. Turning a negative situation into a positive action brings you closer to success.
- You’ll build stronger relationships– If you’re a constant optimistic force people are going to be drawn to you. This can help the people in your life when they need advice or someone to turn to. Genuinely communicating to others what their strongest attributes are will aid them in being more positive also.
- It brings more success. According to an article by the Huffington Post, “positive emotions broaden your sense of possibilities and open your mind, which in turn allows you to build new skills and resources that can provide value in other
areas of your life.” Being positive clears the negative thoughts out of your mind that can prevent you from accomplishing daily tasks and long-term goals. - Negativity affects your brain’s functioning. Cursing, swearing and worrying can cause negative short-term and long-term effects, according to the article “How Can Negative Thinking Affect Your Brain, Mood and Body.” Short-term effects include not being able to finish assignments and putting tasks off. Long term affects can be as severe as depression, according to the article.
- It’s more fun. Smile. Laugh. Play. Being more positive means enjoying more little moments with the people around us. Work and school can be stressful, but being positive and knowing that every situation isn’t “the end of the world,” makes everything better and puts things into perspective
- It’s trending. There are more than 1500 “positive-thinking” groups in over 700 cities around the world, according to positive-thinking.meetup.com. These groups aim to get people together to form and sustain healthy lifestyles. There are also multiple Twitter accounts such as @DailyQuotes10, @BecomePositive and @Believe_success that provide daily inspirational quotes, methods on coping with stress, and how to conquer negative emotions. Get involved and hashtag your own #positivity!
