Positive thinking sometimes can be perceived as a lot of "fluff," but science has been able to prove that there's more to it than just the "placebo effect." In fact, this article answers the question, "How to be Positive Automatically" because it discusses one of the best benefits of positive thinking that makes maintaining positive attitude routine.
BECOMING ADDICTED TO POSITIVE THOUGHTS: Remember when you were upset as a kid and inevitably Mom would try to change your attitude by saying, "Everything's going to be alright?" Whether Mom knew about the power of positive thinking or not, those words were the best thing for her to say at the moment. Today, if we can be that "Mom figure" to ourselves and use positive thoughts and positive phrases like, "Everything's going to be alright," then we are actually using a very old "home remedy" to ignite different biological reactions within our bodies.
So, what exactly does that mean? It means that science has discovered that you can use the power of positive thinking for maintaining positive attitude and actually get "hooked" or "addicted" to it on a biological level.
One way that this happens is that your mind puts out chemicals that coincide with your emotions. So, when you're using positive thoughts to stay happy, your brain is actually flooding your body with "happy" chemicals. The interesting thing that occurs in this regard, though, is that your body may not be equipped to handle all the happy chemicals "coming down the pipe" if you've been depressed for a long time and are new to using the power of positive thinking to your advantage. So, your body has to make physical changes to adapt to the new flow of happy chemicals. Can it do this? Yes!
In fact, one of the best benefits of positive thinking is that as you get better and better at maintaining positive attitude, you are consistently putting out "happy" chemicals and your body produces more and more cell receptors - or portals - to receive the new flood of chemicals, and this is pretty exciting news if you need motivation to change your attitude. Why? Because the more positive you become mentally, the more "happy chemicals" your body prepares to receive and craves, so your body helps you stay happy in order to get its "fix" of happy chemicals. This is where you can say attitude is contagious because your body wants more "happy juice" so your mind puts out more "happy chemicals" to satisfy the "cravings" of your body for "happy juice" so you don't have to think about "how to be positive" anymore. You're on auto pilot!
POSITIVE THINKING CREATES A "SMARTER" BRAIN: Positive thinking also has a positive impact on how the brain itself functions. Research in the field of positive psychology has shown that when a brain is kept positive by maintaining positive attitude, it actually creates more neural pathways faster and has an increased ability to problem solve and "think better." In other words, practicing the power of positive thinking and maintaining positive attitude are like feeding your brain "super food" to help it thrive.
So, can positive thinking affect your health in a positive way? Yes. In fact, when you're super charging your brain with positive thoughts, it runs better and since it's the central computer to your body, it floods your body with positive chemicals that keep you healthy and happy.
