Life's problems affect everyone differently. Some people sail through them with optimism while others shut down or live in crisis mode. You may believe that the way you respond to tough situations is innate or a product of instinct, but that may not be true. While certain responses, such as our "fight or flight" reaction, may be instinctive, you can change the way you approach everyday stresses, according to the article "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Ramez Sasson. Learning to see the glass half-full rather than half-empty not only makes you happier, but the Mayo Clinic points out that it can also help you to avoid disease and live a longer life.
Seek and Destroy Negative Thought Patterns
Start monitoring your thoughts, actions and responses to situations and look for negative thought patterns. When a negative thought pops up, acknowledge it and replace it with a positive thought. This is called "cognitive restructuring" and it's a common technique employed by therapists, according to Time magazine. For example, if you find yourself thinking "I'm worthless," stop yourself and replace it with "I have a lot to offer." Practice stopping all your negative thoughts in their tracks, replacing them with positive ones and moving on, according to the Mayo Clinic, and in time you'll change your default thought process from negative to positive.
Learn to Look at the Big Picture
Negative thinkers are notorious for filtering, or only paying attention to one small, negative aspect of a problem and ignoring the positive, according to the Mayo Clinic. For example, if you write an intelligent and well-researched presentation, but notice afterward that you had a typo in your report, you immediately think that your co-workers think you're unprofessional or careless and ignore the accolades you got for your hard work. Instead, shift your focus to the quality of your information, the amount of hard work you put in and receptiveness of your co-workers. Let the little things slide.
Re-learn What's Important
Remind yourself that some things in life just aren't worth getting upset over. For example, if you get cut off in traffic you might start getting angry. Instead, stop that whole thought process and think "Maybe he didn't see me. I've accidentally cut someone off before." Then, let the whole situation go and move on to something else. A few brief seconds while driving aren't likely to have a substantial impact on your life and therefore shouldn't have the power to ruin your day. According to experts at Mind Tools, these types of responses often stem from feeling out of control. Practice seeing the difference between things you can and can't control and learn to stop being upset about things that are your of your control.
Member Comments