Breath is life and with good breathing habits, you can increase your ability to think optimistically. In our hectic modern world, it is very beneficial to follow habits that promote optimism.
With deep breathing exercises, you can increase the oxygen to your brain; more oxygen means a more optimistic outlook.
Deep breathing also helps to relax the whole body and help maintain good health.
Deep breathing along with a healthy diet, ample sleep, and exercise is the key to staying optimistic because a healthy body and mind promote optimistic thinking.
Harms of Negative Thinking
Negative thinking and stress can cause some of the worse side effects on your body. The hormones that are released from stress can easily break down healthy cells and cause all kinds of damage.
Negative thinking can easily start a domino effect for one bad thing happening in your life to another. Although you cannot control everything, you can do something to combat stress and think more positively, and deep breathing can help.
Causes Of Negative Thinking
Negative thinking or lack of optimism can come from many different things. When things do not go as planned, it can begin the pattern of negative thinking.
Negative thinking can be something that is learned in childhood from negative parents. These thoughts are also powered by the words and ideas you listen to and the words you tell yourself.
The nice thing about negative thinking is it can be changed with a little bit of effort. Deep breathing can help change your inner dialogue.
What is Optimism?
What is optimism? Of course, optimism is different in every situation, but you can generally tell the difference between a negative thought and a positive one, basically the positive person sees the glass as half full, while a negative person sees it as half empty.
There is always a choice when perceiving any situation or even thinking about your own life. You can choose positive paths or negative ones. Other people can easily influence this as well.
You want to make sure that you are doing and thinking for your best possible self. Doing what you love and felling confident about what you do in your life is part of optimism. If you are not somewhere that is helping you stay optimistic about life then it may be time to change what you are doing.
Deep Breathing and Optimism
Just inhaling through your nose and deep within your abdomen while being conscious of your breathe can help alleviate anxiety. For many, negativity is enveloped in anxiety, and other negative emotions. Deep breathing calms, it soothes and stops the barrage of negativity that may be floating through your mind during any given situation.
Visualizing a positive image that has personal meaning to you during deep breathing further promotes optimism and positive thinking.
Exhaling through your mouth after the air has traveled though both your lungs helps eliminate negative thoughts from your mind. You can actually visualize them leaving.
It can help you refocus your habit and mindset, so that with practice you will not automatically think negatively, but will begin to think positively on a regular basis. Teaching yourself to take at least six deep breathes a day or as soon as a negative thought enters your mind will help you do this.
It does take effort, and mindful action, but it is well worth it. When you create better thinking habits through positivity, you will increase what you can do in life.
Whenever life stresses you out and begins to allow negative thoughts to creep into your mind, you can always remember to deep breath. Your mind becomes more effective with more oxygen and imagining your personally designated positive image will help you to master positive perception that can be applied to any situation in life.
So think before you stress and allow a fresh deep breath of air to keep you thinking on the lighter side of life.
This post is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered therapy. This blog is only for informational and educational purposes and should not be considered therapy or any form of treatment. We are not able to respond to specific questions or comments about personal situations, appropriate diagnosis or treatment, or otherwise provide any clinical opinions. If you think you need immediate assistance, call your local doctor/psychologist or psychiatrist or the SADAG Mental Health Line on 011 234 4837. If necessary, please phone the Suicide Crisis Line on 0800 567 567 or sms 31393.