Positive thinking is the art of replacing your mind's negative thoughts and images with positive ones. The purpose is not to deny unpleasant realities but to find more constructive ways to deal with them. Positive thinking exercises enhance the power of your mind. They can produce psychological and physiological benefits.
Theory
Positive thinking is a discipline that was introduced by Norman Vincent Peale in 1952 with his book, "The Power of Positive Thinking." Since then, a large body of literature has expanded on his ideas. The basic premise of positive thinking is that most human unhappiness arises from our thoughts, resulting in various psychological and physiological disorders that lead to adverse circumstances in our lives. By exercising conscious control over our thoughts, we can achieve health, wealth and enhanced quality of life.
Self-Talk
The first step in positive thinking is to become aware of your thoughts. Consciously monitor your own thoughts throughout the day until it becomes second nature to you. Identify negative thinking patterns, such as filtering out the positive aspects of situations, blaming yourself for adverse circumstances, imagining the worst possible outcome, and thinking in black and white. The next step is to consciously banish negative thinking patterns and replace them with more constructive ones, such as supportive affirmations and perspective-enhancing humor.
Creative Visualization
Self-talk is a method of retraining the mind at the verbal level; creative visualization is a method of retraining it at the visual level. The most popular method of creative visualization is to sit in a dark and quiet place, close your eyes and imagine positive outcomes to the obstacles you face as clearly as you can. It helps to imagine yourself actively participating in the positive outcomes--successfully mediating an office dispute, for example. Creative visualization should be practiced several times a week for at least 20 minutes at a time.
Psychological Benefits
If you practice positive thinking exercises consistently over a long period, your mind develops the self-control necessary to increase concentration and stave off depression. Stress levels dramatically decrease, as do the incidence of any psychosomatic illnesses you may have. Substance abuse problems may decrease or disappear.
Physiological Benefits
The lower stress levels produced by positive thinking exercises can result in lower blood pressure, reduced risk of heart disease and cancer, and enhanced immune response that leads to greater resistance against infectious diseases. These benefits can dramatically lengthen your lifespan.
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