I’m sure you’ve all met those people who are just bitter about everything. They always focus on the negative or the worst in every situation. They seem to hate the world. I like to call those individuals “Negative Nancy’s.”
Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the name Nancy and not saying all (or any) Nancy’s actually have this personality, but it’s just an easy nickname to describe them. Kinda like John Doe for an unidentified male.
Now that all the Nancy’s reading this are no longer offended, let me continue.
These “Negative Nancy’s” have programmed their brains to be set at a negative setting. They are always looking for the negative in every situation. They may get 99% on an exam, but will focus on that 1% they got wrong. They’ll get a promotion at work with a huge pay increase, but will be held up on the increased work load that comes with. Their brain automatically will be looking for that one negative.
Whatever you tell your brain, your body believes to be a reality. Whatever thought, idea, or story you tell yourself. Your brain believes that message and sends out neurotransmitters reflecting the emotion associated with that thought or idea. If you are always focusing on the negative, your body believes that and sends messages to the rest of your body in a negative mood.
Here’s a little experiment for you: Close your eyes. Imagine yourself sitting on the floor with multiple puppies crawling around and on you; licking your face and begging to be pet. Or imagine a baby smiling at you trying to imitate the funny faces you are making at him or her. Or imagine your favorite team winning the championships. Now tell me: how many of you are smiling or have a grin on your face? Merely thinking these thoughts puts your body in a positive state, making you feel happy, less stressed and your entire body feels lighter.
Now imagine if you could train your body to feel this way all the time? The more we focus on the positives in life, the more our body sends out these feel good messages to put us in a good mood.
Positive thinking can improve our overall outlook on life. It can decrease stress molecules and inflammatory molecules in our body. It also helps to improve energy and optimize health.
Having a positive outlook on life yourself is fantastic, but surrounding yourself with positive individuals can be even better. The more time you spend surrounded by positive friends, colleagues or family members the more their positivity will wear off on you. A positive environment makes it easier for you to reach your goals and achieve succes. Leave those Negative Nancy’s to commiserate amongst themselves.
I have a challenge for all of you. I call it the “Positivity Challenge.” Don’t worry it’s nothing too hard or strenuous. For the next 21 days, I want you to record 3 things each day that you found to be positives, made you happy or were good things that day. Spend some time reflecting each day on what those positives were and record them in a journal. Even if you have the absolute worst day of your life, I’m sure there are little positives that you’ll be able to find.
The more you practice looking for these three positives, the easier it will become. The first few days may feel like a struggle, but I promise you after a few days or weeks you’ll be noticing all the little things during the day that make you smile or laugh or just give you the warm fuzzies.
This article is intended for educational and information purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you require medical advice, diagnostics or treatment, please contact your nearest healthcare professional.
Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the name Nancy and not saying all (or any) Nancy’s actually have this personality, but it’s just an easy nickname to describe them. Kinda like John Doe for an unidentified male.
Now that all the Nancy’s reading this are no longer offended, let me continue.
These “Negative Nancy’s” have programmed their brains to be set at a negative setting. They are always looking for the negative in every situation. They may get 99% on an exam, but will focus on that 1% they got wrong. They’ll get a promotion at work with a huge pay increase, but will be held up on the increased work load that comes with. Their brain automatically will be looking for that one negative.
Whatever you tell your brain, your body believes to be a reality. Whatever thought, idea, or story you tell yourself. Your brain believes that message and sends out neurotransmitters reflecting the emotion associated with that thought or idea. If you are always focusing on the negative, your body believes that and sends messages to the rest of your body in a negative mood.
Here’s a little experiment for you: Close your eyes. Imagine yourself sitting on the floor with multiple puppies crawling around and on you; licking your face and begging to be pet. Or imagine a baby smiling at you trying to imitate the funny faces you are making at him or her. Or imagine your favorite team winning the championships. Now tell me: how many of you are smiling or have a grin on your face? Merely thinking these thoughts puts your body in a positive state, making you feel happy, less stressed and your entire body feels lighter.
Now imagine if you could train your body to feel this way all the time? The more we focus on the positives in life, the more our body sends out these feel good messages to put us in a good mood.
Positive thinking can improve our overall outlook on life. It can decrease stress molecules and inflammatory molecules in our body. It also helps to improve energy and optimize health.
Having a positive outlook on life yourself is fantastic, but surrounding yourself with positive individuals can be even better. The more time you spend surrounded by positive friends, colleagues or family members the more their positivity will wear off on you. A positive environment makes it easier for you to reach your goals and achieve succes. Leave those Negative Nancy’s to commiserate amongst themselves.
I have a challenge for all of you. I call it the “Positivity Challenge.” Don’t worry it’s nothing too hard or strenuous. For the next 21 days, I want you to record 3 things each day that you found to be positives, made you happy or were good things that day. Spend some time reflecting each day on what those positives were and record them in a journal. Even if you have the absolute worst day of your life, I’m sure there are little positives that you’ll be able to find.
The more you practice looking for these three positives, the easier it will become. The first few days may feel like a struggle, but I promise you after a few days or weeks you’ll be noticing all the little things during the day that make you smile or laugh or just give you the warm fuzzies.
This article is intended for educational and information purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you require medical advice, diagnostics or treatment, please contact your nearest healthcare professional.