The Power of Positive Thinking

This month’s theme at SWC is “Happiness and Joy.”

Today we are looking at how positivity can make us happier.

Positive psychologist Niyc Pidgeon believes that being optimistic isn’t about being happy all the time. Instead she says positive psychology is about being able to weather the storm so that the good stuff outweighs the bad.

Pidgeon says there are simple tools for seeing the bright side and turning problems into opportunities. By adopting a growth mindset when facing life’s inevitable challenges, we build resilience and grit, which makes it easier to find the silver lining in almost any situation.

When we’re thinking more positively, we’re able to take in information more easily, reach our goals faster, find more meaning and purpose in life, and build better relationships.

So positive psychology isn’t just wearing rose-colored glasses all the time and ignoring reality. It’s learning how to shift your perspective by doing something—big or small—that not only makes life look a little sunnier but also makes you feel better every day.

Here is Pidgeon’s exercise for hope and optimism:

•Sit for twenty minutes and imagine your life in the future when everything has gone as well as it possibly could. It could be a full picture of your life, or it could be a certain area of your life.

•Write about how it feels, what it looks like, who’s with you. What feels exciting about it? What are you wearing? Go into loads of detail.

•Putting yourself in that future place brings up feelings of hope and optimism. You feel it and then can continue to feel that level of hope and optimism by having something positive to focus on in the future.

Find out more here: https://goop.com/wellness/mindfulness/how-to-stay-positive/