World’s Best Stress Reliever: Positive Thinking
Stress is a killer— both mentally and physically. In fact, mental (psychological) stress can cause sudden death (physical) by affecting your normal heart rhythms. Stress can have negative effects on nearly all the major systems in our bodies. Depending on the amount and the duration, stress can add any number of health problems to your body — including the susceptibility to be diagnosed with diabetes, asthma, and high blood pressure.
What can we do about stress? Nothing, you say? Well, you’re partially right. Not a single one of us can avoid stress. It doesn’t matter your age, where you live, or your ethnic background — stress is a part of everyday life. But, you can’t live with your head in the clouds or act like the proverbial ostrich with their head in sand. All of us need to keep stress under control; some consider this skill to be a key factor in long term personal success.
When stress comes your way, do you wear the name tag of optimist or pessimist? If you’re an optimist, you have positive outlook on life and probably handle even the most severe stress headache days with minimal obstacles. On the other hand, if you’re a pessimist then you expect the worst outcome in a given circumstance. This is where your stress level increases and mental and physical health suffer.
Here’s how to apply positive thinking into your own life (work and home):
- Perform a quick mental check several times a day
- Healthy lifestyle (exercise and diet)
- Practice positive self-talk
The mental and physical benefits derived from positive thinking include increased life expectancy, lower rates of clinical depression, and even greater resistance to the common cold. Be an optimist and THINK POSITIVE!