Is There a Connection Between Positive Thinking and Happiness?
Phrases such as ‘stay positive’ and ‘think happy thoughts’ are encouraging when you are feeling frustrated or negative thoughts are starting to appear, but sometimes these phrases have no effect
What happens if you shape your positive thoughts, moods, and behaviours by replacing the tired and negative ones?
Researchers have found that if you add more positive thoughts, your brain creates relaxation and happiness. Positivity can modify and retrain your moods, thoughts, and actions. It replaces self-deprecating or negative behaviours with the belief that you can defeat your negativity through positive thinking. Avoiding negative thoughts could help you encourage positive thinking patterns, which could benefit your mental and physical well-being, in addition, it can increase one’s ability to reach their personal goals.
A positive attitude brings out one’s optimistic side, which makes it easier to avoid worry and negativity. Focus on something you can control rather than holding on to the things you can’t. Staying positive doesn’t always mean that you have to be happy all the time, it means that you know better days will come ahead of time.
Some tips to stay positive throughout difficult times:
- Make changes to things that are within your control
- Learn to rephrase negativity
- Find captivating hobbies
- Don’t immerse yourself in negative thoughts
- Focus on the positives frequently, don’t let the negatives in
What does positive thinking do to your brain?
Positive thinking could enhance:
- Creativity
- Problem-solving skills
- Vitality
- Physical well-being
- And mental productivity
Cortisol, the stress hormone, decreases when we think positive thoughts, which makes us feel happy and joyful. Positive thoughts activate the part of the brain that increases one’s activity and zeal. The increase in positive thoughts results in heightened mental reactions such as creative thinking, and intellectual adaptability, and increases our brain’s capacity to process information.
When one experiences positive emotions such as joy, contentment, and love more possibilities in your life open up. Positive emotions broaden the sense of possibility and open the mind to more options. Some tips to increase positive thinking are as follows:
- Mediation- Research shows that people who meditate daily unveil more positive emotions than those who don’t.
- Writing- The people who write about positive experiences are in better mood levels.
- Play- Schedule a time to have fun:). Schedule a time to play or adventure to explore, build new skills, feel happy and have fun.
A WORD FROM SOCIALLY SOULED
Happiness is the antecedent to success and the result of it. There is no doubt that happiness results in success. Researchers have noticed an effect called an ‘upward spiral’ that is associated with happy people. Happy people tend to develop new skills, which could lead to new successes. Finding ways to build happiness and bringing positive thoughts provides more than decreased stress and increased smiles. Change your perceptions of the world around you; your emotional states will start to follow the perceptions.