Positivity is something that a lot of people struggle to have in today’s society. While positivity is certainly better than negativity, many of us tend to find the negatives in life. Just like the popular phrase, your cup is either half full or half empty. As far as the human race is concerned, happiness is one of the most important things to have in life. Without happiness, life seems un-enjoyable and a hassle. Being happy opens you up to a whole new world of possibilities. As it turns out, positivity is directly linked to being happy. In this article, you are going to learn more about why you should develop a positive mindset.
The harmful effect of negative emotions
Before getting into the actual benefits of having a positive outlook on things, let’s discuss the harmful effects that negative emotions can have on you. First of all, negative emotions can drain your mood. When you find the negative in every aspect of life rather than the positive, it can really change your outlook on things. This can put you in a bad, unfriendly state. When this happens, it can also affect those around you. Being in a negative state of mind makes it harder for you to feel empathy for others. This could cause you to give off the vibe that you don’t care about their feelings as much as you possibly do. Another bad element associated with negative thoughts is that they build on each other. If you’ve ever been in this state of mind, you may have noticed that it is hard to get out of it. That is because one negative thought builds on another and so on. The only way to end this cycle is to deliberately force yourself to be positive.
How positivity can help you
Making an effort to find the positive side of the individual aspects of your life will greatly increase your levels of happiness. The first reason why this happens is that you will feel more content. What this means is that you will be happy with where you are rather than looking forward or hoping for time to pass by so that things will be better. This may be confusing, so here is an example. Jimmy has always wanted a Porsche and on his birthday his parents get one for him. He is excited at first until he takes a better look and realizes that it is a used Porsche. The fact that it is used starts a trend of negative emotions and Jimmy begins finding all of the negative aspects he can. Ultimately, he is unhappy with the gift he was given. If Jimmy would have overlooked the fact that it is used and made an effort to find all of the positives of the situation, he probably would be very happy with what he has been given.
Another reason why being positive is so important and beneficial is that it can help you reduce stress levels. Stress has a lot of harmful, negative effects on your body. Positive thinking allows you to stay clear of these negative effects, thus benefiting you in ways like these:
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Increased life span
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Mental well-being
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Better cardiovascular health
How to think positively?
Thinking positively is something that you actually have control over. It is ultimately a choice that you have to make and stick to on your own. With that being said, it isn’t easy to totally shift your personality from negative to positive. According to tinybuddha.com, there are a few ways to make this process easier. Here a few:
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Smile
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Be around positive people
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Help others
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Try mediating
Hopefully, reading this article has given you some insight on the idea of being positive. Remember that this is something that you have control over and you can always shift from negative to positive. Making a change like this can dramatically increase your outlook on and quality of life.