IN THE KNOW
ABOUT POSITIVE THINKING AT WORK - BE HAPPY, BE SUCCESSFUL
There are literally hundreds of books about the power of positive thinking. There's also a lot of research proving that thinking positive helps us enjoy our lives and feel fulfilled in many different ways. We thought it would be useful to look at positive thinking, how it will help you get where you want to be... and enjoy the journey!
First, the science behind positive thinking. Research shows that positive thinking means much more than simply being happy or having an upbeat attitude. Science says that positive thoughts are extremely powerful – they can actually create real value in your life and help you build skills that last.
About negative thinking
Scientists have known for a long time that negative emotions programme the human brain to carry out certain actions. When a dangerous animal walks past you, for example, it makes a lot of sense to run away. This reaction is useful when you are actually in danger, but it isn't always useful in modern society, where we rarely come across dangerous animals. The thing is, your brain is still programmed to respond to negative messages in the same old way.
How positive emotions help us at work
Positive emotions do very different things inside your brain. When you experience positive emotions like joy and love, you automatically see more good in your life. Positive emotions broaden your sense of potential, open your mind to exciting choices and give you a better ability to build useful skills and resources.
Positive thinking means you are less stressed at work. It's good news because stress causes all sorts of conditions including sleeplessness, tiredness, poor concentration, depression, aches and pains, high blood pressure, digestive problems, heart attacks and strokes.
When you're happy, people around you feel happier too. A positive attitude at work means you're more likely to succeed. Being happy makes you feel more empowered, more confident and more able to deal with tasks you find difficult. When you think positive you feel in better control your life, your path, and your decisions... including the way you feel.
It's your job to be happy – The world won't do it for you
The most powerful thing of all, though, is the fact that it's up to you whether you feel negative or positive. If you are feeling negative, it's your job to change your own thoughts to positive ones. It isn't the world's job to make you feel happy. It's your job to feel happy with your world. Once you know that, the working world opens right up for you, and anything can happen. It really does work.
How to feel happy?
Some of us are naturally upbeat. Others need support with positive thinking. Meditation helps people feel more positive. People who meditate daily enjoy better levels of mindfulness, more purpose in life, better social support, and less illness. Writing also helps. Scientific studies show that writing about a very positive experience every day for three days in a row helps people enjoy better moods, fewer doctor visits and less illness. And play is also a winner – as well as scheduling meetings and telephone calls, why not schedule time to have fun, time to explore and experiment?
To finish off, it's exciting to know that scientists have discovered a 'compounding effect' of happiness. When people are happy they develop new skills, and their new skills lead to new successes, which make people even happier, which brings them even more success... and so it goes on.
Posted on 15 August 2017 Reading time 4:29 mins