The Power of Positivity

Positivity is an important part of our daily lives. Some people are born with an optimistic outlook and find positive thinking to be their default response to stressful or negative situations. Others are born with a pessimistic outlook and find it easier to see the bad in a situation. 

That doesn't meant that if you tend to be pessimistic that there's no hope for incorporating more positive thoughts into your life. Even optimists need to remind themselves to remain positive every now and then. 

This post is meant to discuss the benefits of positive thinking, how you can start thinking positively, and how you can spread positivity each and every day. 

Health Impacts of Positivity

While the connection between positivity and health is still being researched, there is definitely a strong link between the two. A study from Johns Hopkins found that positivity can help protect against inflammatory damage caused by stress, can help one make better life decisions, and will have one thinking about long-term goals. 

The Mayo Clinic found that positivity can also lower rates of depression, can increase cardiovascular health, and can even improve one's immune system. Negativity leads to increased feelings of stress. When you are imagining the worst case scenario, you're going to feel stressed which puts a strain on your heart, can increase feelings of depression, and can lower your immune system. 

Keeping stress at a minimum is incredibly important to long-term health. Positivity is one way to keep stress at bay. Now that you know the health benefits, hopefully you agree that positivity is important to incorporate into your daily life. Let's talk about how you can start practicing positivity. 

Practicing Positivity

Positive thinking isn't something that's just going to happen overnight. You need to make a commitment to yourself every day to approach situations you encounter with a positive mindset. There are several ways that you can start practicing positivity, and we have only listed a few that were recommended in the study from Johns Hopkins! You might have to try a few different methods to see what works for you. 

One way to start practicing positivity is to simply smile more. A study from the University of Kansas revealed that simply smiling more throughout the day, even if it's fake, can reduce blood pressure. 

Reframing your mindset can also be an effective way to incorporate positivity into your life. To start doing this, keep track of your thoughts throughout the day to see what your default response is to negative or stressful situations. When you recognize that you have negative thoughts you can start reframing the way you view things. For example, if you were assigned a huge essay for a class, instead of dreading that you have to write it, appreciate the fact that you're able to get an education and learn about a new topic. 

Finally, building resiliency can be an effective method to start thinking positively. This is how well you can adapt when you hit roadblocks in life. If you're able to accept the situation for what it is, you can start developing a positive outlook to getting through it. 

Figure out what methods work best for you. Regularly check in with yourself to see if your thoughts start skewing more positive. 

Spread Positivity

Once you've developed a routine that works for you, start spreading positivity into other people's lives. External support can help someone that might be struggling with positive thinking. There are an infinite number of ways that you can spread positivity. This post only touches on a few—get creative and start sprinkling positivity throughout the world! 

Smiling also applies to this category. When you pass someone on the street and make eye contact with them, shoot them a smile. Smile at your loved ones in the morning while everyone is waking up and starting their day. 

Share compliments with people you come into contact with in your daily routine. You could tell your child that you appreciate their creativity. You could tell the barista at your favorite coffee place that you like their hair. Little compliments can make a huge difference in someone's day. 

Offer support to your friends in need. We all experience difficulties in our lives. Being there for our friends and supporting them in ways that are helpful for them is one way to spread positivity. Letting the people you love know that you're there for them can help alleviate stresses that they might be experiencing. 

You could gift someone the Bright Sides 5 in 1 Gift Set or the Positive Mindset 5 in 1 Gift Set. These sets feature designs that are focused on positivity and boosting one's mood. These rings can serve as reminders for the people you love to look at the bright side of life. 

Test out any of these methods of spreading positivity or start coming up with your own. If you notice something you do makes someone smile, try doing that everyday! 

Be Positive

Obviously, this is easier said than done. It's impossible to get rid of all negativity from your life, there will be times when you need to just feel whatever you're feeling. That's completely normal!

Make small steps each and every day to try incorporating more positivity into your life. Soon enough, you'll find it to be second nature and you'll notice a decrease in negativity.