Your thoughts become your reality. So, it makes good sense to cultivate a positive mindset. Do you know how to do it?
The body and mind intersect in the brain. The brain is the most complex computer in the Universe, transmitting and modulating energy and chemical which control every aspect of our bodies.
The Cells in Your Body React to Everything Your Mind Says
Serotonin and dopamine are brain chemicals that affect attitude. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter; it transmits signals to other molecules. Dopamine is an amino acid made by combining two amino acids, tyrosine and L-dopa, and when the brain makes an abundance of both, you feel great. (1) These hormone levels are associated with our attitude but are not necessarily the cause of it. It’s the chicken and egg dilemma.
A chemical imbalance can cause emotional distress, or a bad attitude can cause a chemical imbalance. One thing is sure; it is possible to change our mindset by adjusting either the chemical or the attitude.
What this means is you can be sad and depressed for no reason. When the brain doesn’t make the right chemicals, you suffer. The mind listens to the body. But it’s good to know the cells in your body react to everything the mind says to some extent. Clinical therapy involves balancing the chemicals of the brain with therapy, drugs, or a combination of both.
We know a negative thinking patterns release cortisol and adrenaline. These place us in a state of readiness. However, it can be harmful if our bodies stay in this state for long periods. Negative thinking also blocks positive chemicals. It is this slippery slope that leads to depression.
Positive thinking releases positive chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, opiates, and oxytocin. These chemicals help build the immune system as they suppress the negative ones. So, your thoughts become your reality, but they also affect the world. People with negative thinking engage in harmful behaviors. You can conduct a simple experiment to understand the relationship by watching a video or movie that makes you laugh. When you do this, dopamine and serotonin levels increase.
Conversely, people can take supplements that may increase these levels, which improve their mood. The trick is finding the right supplement your body can metabolize.
Learning to “think positive” is good for our health and wellness. Another way of saying this is our mindset causes a change in our biology.
Your Thoughts Become Your Reality
Regardless of what happens, what we think determines our reality. If we have a mental illness, it’s best to get the professional help that uses a combination of therapy and mood-altering substances to regain emotional equilibrium. Those who have chronic conditions may need ongoing treatment for the rest of their lives.
Modern therapy techniques work on the conscious level of thinking, so the greater the mental capacity, the more successful you will be in applying conscious solutions. There are other ways to address this issue. Pharmaceuticals are effective when used properly, and Freudian techniques deal with dreams and the subconscious mind. The Bottom Line, it’s important to develop and maintain a healthy mind in order to think more clearly and make better decisions.
The culture we live in has a significant impact on how we perceive things.
Learning to Think Positive
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When you look on the positive side, it doesn’t mean you ignore problems. A positive mindset helps you to see options and solutions. It’s smart to be realistic, especially in these trying times. A pandemic raises stress and makes it easier to slip into negative thinking. However, we know a positive attitude is more likely to find the best solutions because a positive mindset is less stressful. (2) Still, we think more clearly when we can reduce stress. One of the quickest ways to reduce stress is by meditating.
Remember, the Universe is listening. Your thoughts become your reality. It’s a reminder that the cells in your body react to everything your mind says. Take a few minutes once a week to learn some basic techniques to make your mind more healthy. These are essential for overall health and well-being. The health of our psyche reflects our attitude, and these are things we have the control to change.
10 Ways to Improve the Quality of Your Thoughts
1) Start a Dream Journal
Our subconscious mind is most accessible when we dream. So one form of self-therapy is to keep a journal. with documenting dreams or fragments of dreams. Look for themes and patterns and find clues to the subconscious mind’s content. Listen to the content of what you are thinking.
“The cells in your body react to everything your mind says. Negativity brings your immune system down.” — Christina Sagadraca
2) Learn to Monitor Your Self-talk
Before you can effect a lasting change in your attitude, you need to monitor your self-talk. Sit and listen to what’s going on inside your head. Are you caught up in negative scenarios or conspiracy theories? If so, it’s time to review the content of those thoughts.
3) Remove, Repair, and Replace Negative Self-talk
Use a journal to document the negative self-talk scripts. We want to find out where these scripts originate. Are they a part of the negative side of your personality, or are they something you got from the cultural narrative?
The Enneagram can help us sort out the programming of the mind. It can help us determine whether unhealthy thoughts are products of an unhealthy personality or programming from the cultural narrative.
If the thought script being repeated by your inner critic isn’t from your personality, then it’s something you’ve learned. Finding the source of the negative scripts is essential. You need to know the cause to effect the proper remedy to remove it or heal it.
As you repair the mind, you will begin to think positive thoughts even before using affirmations.
4) Remove the Negative, Replace it with the Positive
Before adding positive affirmations, make sure you’ve dealt with the negative. Otherwise, you are wasting your time trying to cover up negative scripts with positive ones. Negative thought patterns are powerful. Unless you remove them, they will overpower any positive scripts.
Once you are ready to replace it, go back to your journal and note the negative scripts. Then write the positive phrase you’d like to replace it with and start reprogramming your mind.
5) Practice Meditation Regularly
The proper meditation technique is the reset button for the mind. You need to silence the inner critic and shut off the internal dialogue. When you can do this, you will bathe the mind in pure awareness.
The recommended technique to reach this place of tranquility is called Japa Meditation (3) or the more widely known version of Transcendental Meditation (TM). (4)
You can start your journey of mediation by learning a simple two-step method. It’s easy but powerful. It is the foundation of the more advanced techniques of Japa and TM.
6) Use Sound and Music to Alter Your Mood
Music, sound, and vibration are the most used tools to alter mood and attitude. Make sure you feed your soul and not the ego in your choices. If you are depressed, don’t listen to emo music, even if it’s your favorite, because it will reinforce your depression. Many people get caught in this trap because it feeds the control of the ego. It is an unhealthy zone that is addictive.
Instead, decide what mood you want your music to produce. If you are looking for something that will ground you and stay out of the way, listen to something like Nada Brahma Schumann’s Resonance. This is a sound frequency of 7.83 Hz. It is the same as the Earth. It produces a low resonance sound that you can barely hear, so it stays in the background. Just because you can’t hear it doesn’t mean it’s not influencing your nervous system. Listening to this frequency will calm you by aligning your subconscious with the natural frequency of our planet. Try it yourself and see.
If you want to increase your energy, listen to songs that make you want to dance.
The key here is to find music that is neutral or positive. If you like German Metal, then be sure you are using it when it supports the mood you want to produce.
7) Exercise
Regular exercise does not need to be extreme to affect the mind, body, and spirit positively. It produces endorphins that reinforce a positive outlook.
8) Demonstrate Kindness and Compassion
Give of yourself to others in need, and become a champion of kindness. Helping other people is a time-proven way to promote a healthy, positive attitude. Giving of yourself in service to others impact others and yourself directly. Remember, your thoughts create your reality, and it’s a power you can use to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
9) Spend Time in Nature
Above all, we must realize we are part of a larger whole. Spend time in nature. The Earth has a vibrational signature when we are in sync with this frequency when we become grounded. We feel better. You probably feel a connection to certain places. Or you may have felt specific locations seem to emit either positive or negative energy.
The natural emotional response is to think positive thoughts and has positive feelings when you connect with a living thing. We naturally feel better when we are in harmony with our environment.
10) Self-Care
Practice healthy self-care. Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish; it’s necessary to maintain a healthy mind and body. Make sure the self-care isn’t buying things to feed the ego. Do things that make you feel better but have no adverse side effects.
In Conclusion
Remember, the cells in your body react to everything your mind says. Be aware your thoughts become your reality; our thoughts start a powerful chain reaction. Make sure you are creating a positive life. Think positive!
If you have other ways to improve your attitude, please share, and don’t hesitate to contact us. If you are looking for a way to show kindness, why not consider donating to support our mission?
References
(1) Happiness & Health: The Biological Factors- Systematic Review Article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4449495/
(2) Positive thinking: Stop negative self-talk to reduce stress: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950
(3) Japa Meditation Technique: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japa
(4) The Transcendental Meditation Technique: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendental_Meditation_technique