Approaching life optimistically today only brings us closer to the life we envision and hope for ourselves in the future. Having a positive mental attitude (PMA) means approaching every situation and challenge in life with optimism. A positive mental attitude is a choice. We can choose to look at the good and manage situations in a constructive way to create our best reality.
PMA helps us deal with stress, overcome challenges, and become more resilient. The more we use it the more effective it becomes in our day-to-day life. It also directly affects our health. Johns Hopkins expert Lisa R. Yanek, M.P.H., and her colleagues found that people with a family history of heart disease who also had a positive outlook were one-third less likely to have a heart attack or other cardiovascular event within five to 25 years than those with a more negative outlook. Their findings revealed that “people with family history who had the most risk factors for coronary artery disease, and positive people from the general population were 13 percent less likely than their negative counterparts to have a heart attack or other coronary event.” Now that we know how beneficial positivity is to our health and well-being, let’s look at a few ways to start cultivating a positive mental attitude:
- Start every day with a positive idea for the day
- Take time to breath and center on positive thoughts
- Focus on the good things in each situation
- Practice gratitude toward life and others
- Open yourself up to humor
- Spend time with positive people
- Practice positive self-talk
Spirituality is an essential part of our human existence. Spirituality means different things to different people; yet it often includes the search for a connection to something greater than ourselves. Spirituality includes our beliefs or sense of purpose and meaning. It connects us to a higher purpose than ourselves. It is what gives us a sense of value or worth in life, a feeling of belonging and reason for being. According to research conducted by Dan Brennen, M.D., there are several positive impacts of spirituality:
- You may feel a higher sense of purpose, peace, hope, and meaning.
- You may experience better confidence, self-esteem, and self-control.
- It can help you make sense of your experiences in life.
- When unwell, it can help you feel inner strength and result in faster recovery.
- Those in a spiritual community may have more support.
- You may work at better relationships with yourself and others.
Practicing our spirituality, is vital to living in harmony within ourselves, with others and the world around us. When we are sick it can give us a sense of inner strength to move us toward recovery. When we feel connected, that feeling can increase confidence, self-esteem, and self-control. It has the power to bring clarity to experiences in life.