Our mental health is a meter which indicates what kind of a person we are. It is as essential as our physical health is and is important at every stage of life from childhood to adulthood. Our mental well being means our emotional, social, biological and psychological well being. If you experience any mental health issues, it will affect your mood, relations with people and your choices. Mental well being is a state in which a person is able to think wisely, make good decisions, be good with people, can cope up with the daily stresses of life and be productive.
Our mental health can be affected by a number of factors: stress at work, rapid social change, childhood trauma, abusive experiences, gender discrimination, physical ill health or biological factors such as genes or brain chemistry. Any of this could be a reason behind your mental ill-health.
This article discusses the impact of positive thinking on your mental well-being and ways to surround yourself with positive thinking.
Positive thinking is an attitude that focuses on the bright side of life and facing life’s challenges with a positive outlook. It is a way of thinking that works effectively and efficiently in our difficult times. An individual who exhibits this positive energy is known to be optimistic. Positive thinking plays an important role in keeping you happy and fulfilled. It does not actually mean to completely ignore the bad aspects of life. Rather, it gives you the perspective of making the most of the bad situations and trusting your capabilities and abilities in a positive light.
Impact of positive thinking on your mental well being:
- Improves stress management and coping skills: In stressful situations, people with positive thinking tend to cope more effectively and experience less stress than pessimists. In such situations, optimists will not lose their control and try to come up with solutions by taking advice from others. Pessimists, on the other hand, will think the situation is out of their control and nothing can be done. Optimists may not easily fall foul of stress and handle every situation with bravery.
- Improves psychological health: Psychological health is defined as a person’s emotional, social and behavioral well being. Our emotional health defines how we feel everyday, social health defines how we behave and interact with people and behavioral health defines how we react and act to unfavorable situations.
- Increases resilience: People who stay calm in adverse situations and face any problems or trauma with strength are said to have better resilience. Instead of falling in the hands of bad situations, they have the ability to resolve and eventually overcome the situation. Research shows that resilient people can actually fight against anxiety and depression with positive thoughts and emotions.
5 ways to surround yourself with positive thinking:
- Surround yourself with good positive people
Build a group of people with positive energies around you. When you are surrounded with positive influences, it becomes easier for you to recognise your abilities and bring out the best in you. You’ll feel motivated, full of energy and are focused on your end goals. You’ll be amazed to see how the quality of your life improves dramatically when you surround yourself with good, positive and loving people. They push you, encourage you and lift you up when you are going through a bad phase of your life. Our behavior, our thoughts, our relations will take the shape as those around us. So choose carefully.
As the saying goes “ Your vibe attracts your tribe”
- Breathe deeply
When we are stressed or anxious, we feel that our breathing becomes irregular and shallow. In such situations we are told to take deep breaths. Keeping ourselves positive can become really difficult, we feel nowhere close to productivity, creativity and motivation. But it turns out that breathing can actually help in such situations. Adding breathing exercises in your daily routine helps you focus your mind more clearly and adds positivity in life.
- Show gratitude
As you wake up in the morning, the first thing you need to do is be grateful for whatever you have in the present without dwelling in the past. Only when you feel and show gratitude, the universe gives you more reasons to be grateful for. It should either be the first thing of your day or the last thing in the night. Starting your day with the positive words can really bring a drastic change in your mindset, you’ll start seeing the positive side of any situation. When you’re practicing it at night, you’re thanking the universe for the day that you had today.
- Get close to nature
A walk in the forest or by the beach can really awaken the positivity in you. There is something magical about being in nature that we feel so empowered, energized and motivated when we are close to nature. When the soft breeze or the warm sun touches us, it automatically uplifts our mood and suddenly a voice whispers in our head saying ‘Everything will be alright’. Nature walks are proven to help people suffering from depression and anxiety and improves our focus and concentration level.
- Give yourself a break
When you are exhausted, you’re just building negativity in yourself. Prefer to take a break when things get piled up in your head. Choose something that you feel excited about and gives you a mental break. Be it any activity like going to the gym or swimming or going for a stroll whatever makes you feel calm and positive.
Hope this article helps you find your way to be surrounded with positivity!!
Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.”
― Roy T. Bennett
