Does Thinking & Speaking Positively Really Matter?

So often when we think about health and wellness we think about what we eat, how we move our body, and how much water we drink. While that is all part of what makes a healthy person, being healthy also includes what you think and say.  

Our thoughts and words, both positive and negative, have physical effects on our body. Positive thoughts and words help you to stress less, live longer, have better coping skills, and have better physical and emotional health.

Being positive helps you to see possibilities you didn’t see before, bounce back from setbacks, and form connections with others. Scientific evidence tells us that positivity can actually produce success and health not just reflect it. When we think and speak positively, neuropeptides, chemical messengers that travel around our body when we think or speak, actually strengthen our immune system. 

All of our thoughts and words matter because our mind and body are directly connected. Thoughts, positive or negative, accumulate and can contribute to our health or to illness. We have the opportunity to control our thoughts and words. It all begins with awareness. You have to notice your thoughts in order to change them.

When you notice your thoughts, do so without judgement. If you find that you are judging your thoughts then you are already in a negative headspace. Just try to notice without creating a story about the thoughts. 

We constantly have an inner dialogue going on. Notice if what you are thinking about yourself is positive or negative. If your thoughts are negative try to replace them with something positive. Start with something small like, “I hate commuting” to “I am thankful that I have a car to drive to work” and build up from there.

Our thoughts and words make us who we are. They lead us into the actions and decisions that we make everyday. When you begin to reframe your thoughts and words then you begin to retrain your mind. Over time, it becomes easier to reduce negative thoughts and find yourself thinking and speaking more positively.