Autor: Carlos Alberto Lopes | Publicado: 2012-11-25T16:54:00-02:00







Positive thinking:Reduce stress by eliminating negative self-talk



Original Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/positive-thinking/SR00009



Positive thinking helps with stress management and can even improve your
health. Practice overcoming negative self-talk with examples provided.



Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old
question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your
attitude toward yourself, and whether you're optimistic or pessimistic — and it
may even affect your health.



Indeed, some studies show that personality traits like optimism and
pessimism can affect many areas of your health and well-being. The positive
thinking that typically comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress
management. And effective stress management is associated with many health
benefits. If you tend to be pessimistic, don't despair — you can learn positive
thinking skills. Here's how.





Understanding
positive thinking and self-talk



Positive thinking doesn't mean that you keep your head in the sand and
ignore life's less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you
approach the unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think
the best is going to happen, not the worst.



Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless
stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head every day. These
automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes
from logic and reason. Other selftalk may arise from misconceptions that you
create because of lack of information.



If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your
outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly
positive, you're likely an optimist —someone who practices positive thinking.





The health benefits
of positive thinking



Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and
optimism on health. Health
benefits that positive thinking may provide include:



<!--[if !supportLists]-->·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<!--[endif]-->Increased life span

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<!--[endif]-->Lower rates of
depression

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<!--[endif]-->Lower levels of
distress

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<!--[endif]-->Greater resistance to
the common cold

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<!--[endif]-->Better psychological
and physical well-being

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<!--[endif]-->Reduced risk of death
from cardiovascular disease

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<!--[endif]-->Better coping skills
during hardships and times of stress



It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these
health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to
cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects
of stress on your body. It's also thought that positive and optimistic people
tend to live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a
healthier diet, and don't smoke or drink alcohol in excess.





Identifying negative
thinking



Not sure if your self-talk is positive or negative? Here are some common
forms of negative self-talk:



Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of
the positive ones. For example, say you had a great day at work. You completed
your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job.
But you forgot one minor step. That evening, you focus only on your oversight and
forget about the compliments you received.



Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For
example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume
that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you.



Catastrophizing. You automatically anticipate the worst. The drive-through coffee shop
gets your order wrong and you automatically think that the rest of your day
will be a disaster.



Polarizing. You see things only as either good or bad, black or white. There is no
middle ground. You feel that you have to be perfect or that you're a total
failure.





Focusing on positive
thinking



You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The
process is simple, but it does take time and practice — you're creating a new
habit, after all. Here are some ways to think and behave in a more positive and
optimistic way:



Identify areas to
change. If you want to become more optimistic and engage in
more positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you typically
think negatively about, whether it's work, your daily commute or a
relationship, for example. You can start small by focusing on one area to
approach in a more positive way.



Check yourself. Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you're thinking. If
you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a
positive spin on them.



Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult
times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel
less stressed.



Follow a healthy
lifestyle. Exercise at least three times a week to positively
affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and
body. And learn to manage stress.



Surround yourself
with positive people. Make sure those in
your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful
advice and feedback. Negative people may increase your stress level and make
you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.



Practice positive
self-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don't say
anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else. Be gentle and
encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it
rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you.



Here are some examples of negative self-talk and how you can apply a
positive thinking twist to them.

 

  
Negative self-talk

  
Positive thinking

 

  
I've never
  done it before.

  
It's an
  opportunity to learn something new.

 

  
It's too complicated

  
I'll tackle
  it from a different angle

 

  
I don't have
  the resources

  
Necessity is
  the mother of invention.

 

  
I'm too lazy
  to get this done

  
I wasn't able
  to fit it into my schedule but can re-examine some priorities

 

  
There's no
  way it will work

  
I can try to
  make it work.

 

  
It's too
  radical a change

  
Let's take a chance

 

  
No one
  bothers to communicate with me

  
I'll see if I
  can open the channels of communication

 

  
I'm not going
  to get any better at this

  
I'll give it
  another try.

 






Practicing positive
thinking every day



If you tend to have a negative outlook, don't expect to become an
optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually your self-talk will contain
less self-criticism and more selfacceptance.You may also become less critical
of the world around you. Plus, when you share your positive mood and positive
experience, both you and those around you enjoy an emotional boost.



Practicing positive self-talk will improve your outlook. When your state
of mind is generally optimistic, you're able to handle everyday stress in a
more constructive way. That ability may contribute to the widely observed
health benefits of positive thinking.