Scientific proof of the power of positivity
Our thoughts have the power to control our emotions, mental processing powers, and an overall attitude. At times, we may feel as though our thoughts are uncontrollable manifestations of external stimuli. We may even believe that our thoughts are a product of our personalities.
However, recent studies and discoveries have shown that we have the innate ability to control our thoughts, improve our attitudes, and boost our positivity. But first, we must adopt a positive attitude.
To begin, let’s see how the power of positivity really works.
How Does the Power of Positivity Work?
If you change the outlook of your circumstance, then you’ll likely change your mental and physical response. Studies suggest that stress can pose a danger to your overall health and relationships by causing a series of automated reactions, such as high blood pressure and insomnia, or unhealthy responses, such as stress-eating and irritability. By practicing positivity, you can greatly reduce the risks associated with stress.
The power of positivity works by replacing negative thought patterns with positive reactions. Individuals who practice positivity not only experience improvement in their health, but they are also more likely discover new opportunities.
By following this practice, participants have the power to shape their thoughts and control their responses. They are not inhibited by negative thought patterns or unhealthy responses to stress and anxiety. Rather, studies indicate that these individuals are much healthier and maintain a longer life span with increased rates of happiness.
There’s an eminent reason why successful people often say that they achieved success through positive thinking.
Some Experiments…
The University College London conducted a study that analyzed the relationship between mortality and outlook. The participants included 2,444 healthy individuals and 1,397 individuals who were currently suffering from some form of disease.
In the study, researchers discovered something remarkable: the healthy participants had heightened displays of optimism and were typically happier. These individuals maintained a longer life span with little to no prolonged illnesses.
Alternatively, the unhealthy participants projected much lower levels of optimism and happiness, effectively increasing their death rate.
Also, the same researchers discovered that consistent emotions of anger or hostility led to increased chances of coronary complications. They even indicate that anger management practices may prevent or combat heart disease.
This study offers a real-life example of the power of positivity. It also offers scientific proof that positivity can have a direct link to an individual’s overall health.
Recent Discoveries
Many scholars and professionals have made—and continue to make—shocking and remarkable discoveries in this area. Let’s discuss two scholars who’ve impacted the way we currently view the power of positivity.
Dr. Masaru Emoto
Emoto is famous for his water and rice experiments. He’s also the author of the “Messages from Water”, originally published in 1991. Emoto believes that human consciousness and physical reality possess a direct link. By practicing positive thinking and adopting a positive attitude, individuals can improve their current reality and health.
In his water experiment, Emoto studied the emotional effects of water. He exposed water samples to various forms of emotional stimuli, such as a Mozart recording, Heavy Metal music, and positive and negative phrases. He then froze the samples and examined the individual crystalline structure of the water.
The results were incredible. The sample exposed to Mozart formed into beautiful and intricate structures that resembled the positive emotions transmitted through the music. Similarly, the sample that was exposed to Gratitude possessed a similar crystalline structure. In both instances, the formations changed to express their environments.
However, the samples that were exposed to negative stimuli, had unappealing and deformed crystalline structures. The water samples came from the same sources, underwent the same freezing procedure, and were stored in the same containers. The only difference was the emotional stimuli they had received.
As Emoto states, humans are constructed of mostly water, and it would stand to reason that we would experience a similar phenomenon as the water crystals. This scientific study indicates that emotions and positivity has a direct effect on the physical composition of natural resources.
Professor Barbara Fredrickson
As a leading psychologist at the University of North Carolina, Fredrickson has studied the relationship between positive thinking and physical health. During one study, she engaged subjects in a variety of techniques to create positive emotions. Through the seven-week project, the participants practiced a loving-kindness mediation. They had to direct positive thoughts to themselves, family members and friends, and to those they had tense relations with or disliked.
Fredrickson discovered that the participants experienced a direct and physical change to their heart rhythm.
Not only did the practices lower participant’s heart rate and decrease their risk of heart disease, but it also had positive effects on the individuals’ immune systems.
The power of positivity improved the participant’s mental and physical condition, effectively displaying another instance of the scientific basis behind positive thinking.
How Can I Apply The Power of Positivity to My Life?
There are many practices that you can perform to increase your positive outlook. Let’s look at some examples:
1. Practice Gratitude
Practicing gratitude doesn’t need to be a time-consuming activity. All you need is a notebook and a pen.
Make a list of approximately ten things you are grateful for every day. Your list can include the basics, such as food and shelter, or it can include important relationships, such as friends and family. It can also include current successes, milestone moments, personal interactions, or anything that puts a smile on your face.
By practicing gratitude, you pay close attention to the positive elements in your life, rather than the negative moments. This practice can increase your positive attitude and improve your stress rates.
2. Meditate
Scholars and researchers have proven that meditation can lead to reductions in stress, improvements in health, and increased positivity. Not only does it grant you precious time to still your overwhelming thoughts, but it also relaxes your body and helps filter through your thought patterns.
By meditating on certain circumstance, you can find the silver lining and discover the positive side to a seemingly negative situation.
3. Recognize Negative Thoughts and Transform Them
The most important step in adopting a positive attitude is to recognize negative thought patterns. Once you can analyze the when and why of your emotions, you can start tackling strategies to combat any negative thought entering your mind.
Some people find it beneficial to write down any negative thought and examine its origins. Once they understand it, they then burn the paper or tear it apart, symbolizing that thought’s destruction.
This is a helpful practice for anyone who prefers critical analysis, as they can physically work through any thought patterns and develop a strategy to overcome negativity and promote positivity.
4. Find the Positive to Each Negative
Rather than viewing a presumably negative’ event through stress, anxiety, and fear, try to find an optimistic or positive element embedded within the experience.
A perfect example of this practice is someone who has been recently laid off or fired. It’s very easy to approach this situation with stress and anger. However, that same individual could view the circumstance as a way to achieve a new opportunity and find a better job.
If they view losing their job as something bad, then it instantly becomes negative, and they respond in an unhealthy fashion. Alternatively, if they view it as a way to promote growth, then they practice positivity and will likely experience a healthier response.
As Henry Ford once said: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right.” Choose what to be right about. Think positively and you will see the changes.
