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Oct 05
2017

Health Benefits of Positive Thinking

Is there healing in the power of positivity? Well, studies have shown that if you are trying to get better after surgery or recover from injury or illness, adding a little positivity to your life sure won’t hurt. John Hopkins Medicine, Harvard Health and The Mayo Clinic all have studied this issue exactly and report that although no one can seem to explain why, there do seem to be reported health benefits of positive thinking.

From preventing the common cold and keeping your heart healthy, to coping with brain or spinal injury, or recovering from a stroke — the power of positivity can aid in your healing, recovery and wellness. Some reports suggest that positive people tend to take better care of themselves and live healthier lifestyles, but no one knows the exact reason why positivity aids in healing.

Regardless, here are the reported health benefits of positive thinking:

Health Benefits of Positive Thinking

• Improved immune function
• Wards off depression
• Longer lifespan
• Better resiliency in coping with stress
• Lower cardiovascular incidences
• Less sickness (i.e. common cold)
• Faster recovery from surgery

How To Inject More Positivity Into Your Life

If optimism doesn’t come easily for you, we have good news. With a little practice, anyone can get better at it and start reaping the benefits of daily doses of positivity in their life. Here are a few small ways to inject more positivity into your life starting today.

Gratitude Journal

Take a few minutes either at the start or end of your day to write down what you are grateful for. At first, this might seem challenging if your mind is a programmed pessimist, so start out small.  Name and write down three things you can appreciate being a part of your day. Whether it was the fact that you woke up this morning, or someone you are grateful for in your life (like your favorite physical therapist!) start with three and write those down.

The next day, challenge yourself for 5, and so on. Keep paying attention to the small things in life you are grateful for and write these down in a journal. Keeping a gratitude journal is a small practice that can help to retrain your mind toward positivity.

Mindfulness

The practice of mindfulness carries physical and health benefits of its own, according to an article by UC Berkeley. Mindfulness is basically the practice of being present in the moment where you are and paying attention what you are feeling, but without judging those feelings. In other words, “just be”. Mindfulness has been shown to inject more positivity into your life through the sheer practice of it. Give it a try — you might start feeling happy!

Make Life Meaningful

Contributing to society in a meaningful way can also help to inject more positivity into your life. Of course having a job or career that you enjoy will do this, but volunteering is another way to brighten up your life. Volunteering adds value to others’ lives and helps your community all at the same time.

With a little practice, even the most pessimistic among us can turn our outlook around and add years to our life and life to those years. If you have been recommended to follow a physical therapy program, there is no doubt that adding a little positivity to your routine won’t hurt. In fact, we’d welcome it!

Contact us today.