A study from the University of Pittsburgh was recently published that demonstrates having a positive mental attitude is worthwhile…if you want a longer and healthier life. This was a long term study involving over 100,000 women who were 50 or older. One could argue that women have a tougher time staying positive because they put up with men on a regular basis. That’s a subject for another day.
Are Your a Grump? Here are a few ways to improve your attitude:
Move it. A program of regular exercise improves your health. That’s great but exercise also has a direct effect on mental outlook. Endorphins, those wonderful feel good chemicals are released when you work out. Exercise consistently and your body will look and feel better. Now that’s positive reinforcement.
Say goodbye to pain. Let’s face it, pain can be depressing. If you live with aches and pains on a daily basis, do something about it. Chiropractic, acupuncture and massage are three effective methods to reduce or eliminate pain without drugs and their side effects. Regular exercise is another key pain fighting strategy. Finally, a change in diet can make an enormous difference. These natural strategies are better than living on pain-killers which can lead to serious health issues.
Talk yourself into it. It may sound silly but starting every day saying, “I feel great today,” with enthusiasm effects your attitude. That’s true even if you don’t believe it at first. These type of statements, called affirmations, trigger chemical cascades that reinforce the message you deliver to yourself. Think of it as a placebo for you brain. Sound weird? What do you care how it sounds? It works.
Be Logical. You really think your life stinks? Be objective. If you’re reading this, you probably aren’t living out on the streets and dumpster diving for you next meal, right? Even if you’re struggling financially, you still have it better than 95% of the people living around the globe. Recession or not, in America, we have it good. Appreciate how lucky you really are.
Hang out with positive people. The nay-sayers and complainers will bring you down. That seems to be their mission in life…especially if you are trying to upgrade your attitude. Dave Sandler, a great sales coach, put it this way, “Your friends don’t want you to change. If they wanted you to be different or better, they would have started out with somebody else in the first place.” And don’t try to sell your new uplifting attitude to the negative crowd. They like being miserable.
