Positivity

The word Optimism comes from the Latin word optimus, which means "best". Optimists always look for the best in people and in situations. They also expect every thing to go well, but even if something bad happens, an optimist can still see the positive side. However, those aren't the only advantages to being an optimist. Today, I'm going to inform you on how being positive can help better mental health, physical health, and how you can be more optimistic yourself. Many recent studies have shown how being positive helps mental stablility, more specifically, an optimist doesn't have as much stress as a pessimist. Pessimists have little hope and confidence in themselves. For example, If someone had an exam, and they kept thinking negative things, like how bad they were going to do, they would worry about it. Little things such as this add up, and its just adding unnecessary stress to their life. Biologically, an optimist's body responds better to stress. Researchers from the Psychology Department at Concordia University released a study in 2013 that suggested optimists have more stable cortisol levels, which is the stress hormone. This means an optimist can handle their stress better. Because of this, Optimists are also at lower risk for anxiety disorders such as depression. A study called, “A Prospective Study of the Effects of Optimism on Adolescent Health Risks,” published in the February 2011 issue of Pediatrics. Teens with a positive mindset were 42% less likely to develop sypmtoms of depression than the teens with a negative mindset. Because depression leads to substance abuse and violent behavior, optimists are also at lower risk for those. Not only does being positive help mental health, but phyiscal health as well. Positivity helps the brain heal the body, starting with the brain. The prefrontal cortex in your brain controls your desicion making for your emotions and behaviors. It also regulates the signals that your neurons send to other parts of your brain and body. If you're thinking positively, your PFC is sending positive signals to the rest of your body, which helps it heal faster. On the Harvard Medical website, an article called "Optimism and Your Health" published in May 2008, suggests that after surgery, optimists are "half as likely to require hospitalization". But not just staying healthy, but living longer too. In 1962, a study by the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota consisted of testing hundreds of people on their optimism, reviewing their medical records and tracking them for the next 30 years. Eventually, their death rates were compared, and the results suggested that pessimists had a 19% earlier chance of death than their life expectancy predicted. It isn't hard to be an optimist. Here are some steps to help you think more positively. Step one: Don't dread things; instead, be thankful. When you wake up in the morning, don't dread going to class, or work, or errands you might have to run. Instead, be thankful that you even have the oppurtunity to recieve an education, or that your healthy enough to hold a job. Step two: Talk positively. In an article published in September 2013 called "How To Be Optimistic About Everything" by Laura Schwecherl, she says "Speak with success. Sometimes it’s not the specific situation that determines a good or bad mood, but how we talk about it. (The exam may have been super hard, but telling friends we tried our best may cheer us up.)" Step three: Remember life is short. When you start to feel down or sad, remember that every minute counts. Any time spent being negative, sad or mad is time that you can't get back. It's also less time to enjoy whatever life has to offer. You don't want to look back when you're old and regret all the parts of life you didn't appreciate. In conclusion, just be happy. There's nothing but good things to come out of being positive. Being an optimist gives you a healthier mind, and a longer, healthier life. When things go wrong, try and see the silver lining. Being positive or negative is a choice that's presented to us every morning. So, wake up, and look around at the beautiful world. Instead of wishing you got more sleep, thank God that you have another day.