10 Benefits of Positive Attitude and Thinking

The key to a healthy and happy life lies in staying positive. Spreading positivity, happiness and cheer all around oneself keeps the body fit and the mind, tension-free. Yes, our day-to-day lives are very hectic, and we often feel weighed-down by life’s pressures and demands- deadlines to meet, family gatherings to attend, staying in touch with friends, and at the same time, finding time for your own self- this involves a lot of work and can be very tiring. But as we may have experienced, a positive atmosphere along with a good and hearty laugh does wonders and leaves one feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Therefore, it is needless to say that staying positive and optimistic in our attitude and thoughts is extremely important in order to lead a stress-free life. Here’s presenting some benefits of positive attitude and positive thinking..

10. Positivity Improves Success Rate

Positivity Improves Success Rate

If a person works happily and stays optimistic about the end result of the task at hand, there is no doubt that she/he is more likely to succeed than an individual who feels that the work is a burden and that it will not yield a positive outcome. Staying focused, staying optimistic, and believing in oneself and in one’s work, along with giving in one’s 110% to the job is what counts even more than the actual job itself. If a person believes that no matter how hard they try, they just cannot complete the task at hand, they will never be able to succeed despite having the potentiality to do so. On the other hand, one who believes that the job CAN be done, no matter what, will definitely be successful, no matter what the demands of the job role may be.

Try this out yourself. Staying happy will definitely lead to a job well done!

9. Improved Job Performance

Improved Job Performance

It has been found that optimism and overall job performance of an individual show a positive correlation. This means that as the levels of optimism increase, the performance is also seen to increase. The explanation for this is actually very simple to understand as well as apply in daily life- by holding a positive attitude towards one’s work and one’s colleagues, one is much more likely to enjoy their work as well as enjoy working with their team. This, in turn, ensures that interpersonal relationships improve, and a positive work environment prevails. This is a major factor in encouraging people to give in their best and work happily and efficiently. One who does not enjoy what they do, can never be satisfied with their performance.

8. Optimism Increases Motivation

Optimism Increases Motivation

When one stays happy and optimistic, one is motivated to work harder. Also, a major contributor to the outcome of a task is the motivation within a team. If we see happy people around us, we ourselves remain motivated and also motivate our friends to work. As a result, the team works more efficiently on the whole.

It is, however, important to remember that this does not hold true just for teams in a professional setting. Even if we’re working alone on a task- from college submissions to cleaning up our rooms- the same applies everywhere. A positive surrounding makes us believe in the very famous quote- “Nothing is impossible. Because the word impossible itself says ‘I M Possible’” !!

7. Happy Thoughts keep us Energized

Happy Thoughts keep us Energized

The feeling of “Yes I can do this!” is a huge energy booster and a determinant of the overall success. Also, when others around us believe in us, we too, start believing in ourselves much more than earlier. When one is happy, one is more pumped up to work and more importantly, make things work. One also looks forward to meeting their deadlines and making sure they leave no stone unturned to attain success!

6. Happiness is a Stress-Buster

Happiness is a Stress-Buster

The concept of stress is dealt with in the field of Psychology, where it is defined as “a feeling of strain or pressure”. While an optimum level of stress is good or rather, necessary to improve performance, taking too much stress hampers one’s productivity and quality of work. One might be able to deal with high levels of stress for some time, say a few weeks, but after that, it leads to a breakdown, be it mental, physical, or neurotic (emotional). Hence, it is very important to reduce, if not overcome, the stressors, which are nothing but events or stimuli in the environment that cause stress.

One way to do this is, of course, by staying happy and cheerful. It has been found that people who stay optimistic in the face of stress cope better with such situations, than those who remain pessimistic. Many behavior studies have revealed that optimistic individuals seek to find ways to get past the stressful situation, while pessimistic individuals may simply give up and believe that nothing can be done to change the situation that they are in.

5. Positivity Improves Health

Positivity Improves Health

If a person’s job performance is high, the motivation levels increase. As a result, the output rate increases and stress levels decrease. This leads to the person feeling a difference in their health status, as well! Someone who leads a stress-free life and is generally happy with the state of things around them is much more safeguarded against conditions such as depression, common cold, flu, and even cardio-vascular disease.

An interesting aspect here is that the term “health” has many connotations. It refers to a person’s well-being on the physical, emotional, mental as well as social front. A healthy person is one who is able to meet life’s challenges while knowing that she/he has a strong social and familial support system. This enables the individual to be peaceful, emotionally and mentally.

4. Optimism boosts Immunity

Optimism boosts Immunity

As explained above, positive thoughts keep one stress-free and hence, healthy. Physical health is determined by absence of physical illnesses, common ones being flu and viral fever, severe ones being heart ailments. A major improvement can be seen in individuals who are ill, if they maintain a positive outlook to treatment and believe that they can better with medication.

Many researchers have proved that happy thoughts and a relaxed mind lead to release of stress-relieving hormones, and also strengthen the body’s immune system, thus ensuring that individuals fall ill less often. As can be said, “A hearty laugh a day, can keep the doctor away!”

3. Improves Self-Esteem and Confidence

Improves Self-Esteem and Confidence

Many-a-times we notice that people who keep themselves as well as others around them, happy and cheerful, tend to have a higher self-esteem and are more confident. Self-esteem is the value judgment that an individual holds about herself or himself. Confidence refers to the extent to which an individual feels comfortable in their own skin and can “be themselves” in social settings. Happy people spread happy vibes and are a joy to work with. Others like having such people on their teams as they are often hardworking and adjusting. This appraisal, in turn, further boosts confidence and thus, self-esteem.

2. Brings Inner Peace and a Sense of Fulfillment

Brings Inner Peace and a Sense of Fulfillment

Everyone has their own definition of “happiness” and what it means to be “truly happy”. For some, it may be sharing close bonds with friends and family, for some it may mean being at the top position in their field, while for some others, it may be a sense of security and attachment with the ultimate power, commonly referred to as God.

Dwelling in an environment which is nurturing and peace-giving, happy and optimistic, gives one the feeling of security and acceptance. Such people are then able to attain inner-peace and are content with life. They experience a sense of fulfillment and lead, what they believe, a serene life.

1. Helps you live longer and together

Helps you live longer!

Without a doubt, anyone who leads a hassle and tension-free life, has a good immune system, making her or him resilient to many diseases, and most importantly, is happy and content with life, will have a long life! Many studies have established this fact. In a study conducted by Jitendra Mishra, it was found that optimism, health and longevity have a positive correlation with one-another, as “a person who desires to live longer can do so by having a positive outlook on life and the world around them. Research had proven that optimism on an individual basis has the ability to improve longevity in life and in the workplace.”