On the surface, the word "good thought" sounds great. Happy feelings are preferred by the majority of people over pessimistic ones. This is an example of an expression.
In the real world, it's usually dismissed as fluffy. It doesn't have the same ring to it as words like "hard worker" or "work ethic." These perspectives are shifting.
Good living, according to research and people, isn't just about being happy or plastering a grin on your face for everyone to see. Positive words bring true meaning to your daily life and will help you develop qualities that can outlast a fake smile.
Barbara Fredrickson, a positive thinking professor at the University of North Carolina, has helped to demonstrate the impact of positive emotions in daily life. Let's take a closer look at what she discovered and what it means for you.
Let's take a look at the effects of negative emotions on the brain. Consider the following scenario.
Pretend you're out for a stroll through the jungle. On the street ahead of you, a tiger comes out of nowhere. Your subconscious naturally produces a negative reaction when you see a tiger. Fear is the case in this instance.
Negative reactions have long been known to encourage you to respond in a certain manner, according to researchers. For example, if a tiger approaches you, you will flee. At the moment, nothing else matters. Your focus is on the wolf, the terror, and how you want to flee.
This suggests that a depressive emotion can cause the mind and emotions to become more narrowly focused. You have the choice of picking up a rock, climbing a branch, or picking up a leaf right now. These solutions aren't important when there's a tiger in front of you, so your brain lacks them.
This is a great tool to have in case you need to defend yourself, because in today's world, you don't have to be afraid of sneaking up on a tiger in the jungle. The bad news is that the brain is already wired to react to negative feelings by shutting out the rest of the world and limiting what you see.
Another scenario would be if you were in a war with others. You might become totally consumed by your rage and feelings, and you won't be able to care of anything else. If you're stressed out by what you have to do today, you can find it difficult to concentrate on what you need to do or how to get started because the duration of your to-do list has paralyzed you. You may be unhappy because you haven't been eating or exercising well. Everything you can think of is your willpower and accusing yourself of being a slacker. You are losing hope as a result of this.
Like the tiger, the brain turns down to the outside world and relies only on the feelings of tension, frustration, and terror in all of these scenarios. Negative thoughts only serve to keep the brain from considering any possibilities that might exist. This is a natural reaction to adversity.
So, what are the effects of good thinking on the brain?
Fredrickson conducted research to see if constructive thoughts had an impact on the brain. She separated her subjects into five classes and showed them various movie clips in this experiment.
Two participants were shown clips that elicited happy feelings. One party was shown items that made them very happy. The other party was shown items that made them happy.
The third party was the monitoring group, who was shown items that had little effect on their emotions.
The final two classes were shown videos that elicited pessimistic feelings. One of the final groups was shown images that elicited terror, while the other was shown images that elicited rage.
After seeing the videos, participants were asked to imagine themselves in a situation that would elicit the same feelings and write down what they would do. They were given a sheet of paper with 20 blank lines that began with “I would like to...” on it.
Participants that were given photographs that elicited anxiety or rage were unable to record as many responses. Participants who were given photos that made them happy and satisfied were able to write down a lot of acts than the control group.
This means that whether you experience good feelings such as passion, pleasure, or contentment, you can see more possibilities in your life. Positive feelings, according to the results, will expand your sense of possibility and open your mind. Later on, more important findings were made:
- Good feelings have benefits that last even after the feeling has passed. These feelings provide you with the most perks, including the opportunity to develop greater abilities that you can apply later in life.
- By running athletically, playing and engaging with others, and learning how to discover the world, children who run outdoors, swing in tree branches, and interact with friends grow physical, emotional, and artistic abilities. This occurs when the child's feelings of laughter and play encourage him or her to develop qualities that will be valuable later in life.
- This abilities would last them even longer than the feelings that motivated them to train in the first place. Negative thoughts have a different impact and developing potential abilities is meaningless to the brain in a situation where you are in imminent danger or a challenge.
- These feelings and opinions will have a significant effect on your life. It is important that you have a better understanding of constructive thought.
- Don't get the wrong idea about what positive thinking entails. This does not imply that you ignore the negative aspects of life. Positive thought entails approaching difficult situations in a positive and efficient manner. You must have confidence that none of the finest would occur.
- Self-talk is the first step toward constructive thinking. If you're not familiar with the word, it refers to the unspoken communication that occurs in your head. There are either pessimistic or optimistic emotions. Self-talk may be rational or logical.
- It may result from misunderstandings caused by a lack of knowledge about a topic.
- If your self-talk is more gloomy, you'll have a bleak perspective. You would be more confident if the self-talk is constructive.
- Researchers are also looking at the health benefits of hope and optimistic thought. Here are a few of the advantages:
- Improved digestive fitness and decreased risk of death from heart failure. Improved physical and psychological well-being. Increased vulnerability to catching a cold. Lower stress levels. Lower depression levels. A longer life.
Negative self-talk can take the following forms:
Distinguishing
You only see life in one of two ways: positive or evil. There is no such thing as a middle ground.
You believe you must be flawless or you will be judged a disappointment.
Apocalyptic thinking
Your mind would immediately jump to the worst-case situation. Your daily coffee shop makes a mistake in your order, and you fear the rest of your day will be a disaster.
Customization
You immediately blame yourself when something goes wrong or something negative occurs. Consider the following scenario: your friend's night out is cancelled. You assume it's that no one wishes to be with you, so everybody has cancelled.
Filtration
You emphasize the negative aspects of a case while overlooking the positive aspects.
For instance, you had a fantastic day at work. You completed all of your assignments ahead of schedule, and your supervisor complimented you on the consistency of your work and how quickly you completed it. That evening, all you can think of is completing more activities the next day and completely forget about your boss's compliments.
No need to be concerned; replacing negative feelings with positive ones is easy. It will take some initiative and time. It's the same as forming a new habit.
Here are a few ideas for getting started:
- Identify areas that require improvement.
- Find the areas of your life that you are still pessimistic if you want to become more motivated and practice constructive thinking. This could be a daily drive to work, a friendship, or something else. Begin by concentrating on a single region.
- Examine yourself.
- Check in on yourself every now and then during the day to see what you're dreaming about. If you notice that your feelings are pessimistic, try to find a way to change them.
- Learn to appreciate a good laugh.
- Allow yourself to laugh and smile, particularly if you're having a difficult time. Find a sense of humor in all that happens during the day. You can be less depressed if you will learn to laugh at yourself.
- Begin living a healthier lifestyle.
- Begin exercising for 30 minutes a few times per week. If you don't have 30 minutes to spare, divide the workout into three ten-minute sets.
- Exercise has a calming impact on the mood which can aid in stress reduction. A balanced diet can help to power both the body and mind.
- Surround yourself with things that are positive.
- Be certain that the people you spend time with will bring you joy. They must be encouraging and upbeat. They must provide you with constructive criticism and guidance. You will experience more tension and disappointment if you associate yourself with pessimistic people.
- Strong self-talk is a good habit to get into.
- Try to remember the following rule: Never say something to an acquaintance that you wouldn't say to a friend.
- You must be encouraging and compassionate, and if negative feelings do arise, rationally examine them and repeat a constructive reinforcement. Make a list of things for which you are grateful.