Positive Thinking and Healing

Positive thinking can have an overall positive effect on your physical health. The Mayo Clinic says that when you use positive thinking, it helps you handle problems in a more positive way. If you are having health problems, positive thinking can reduce your stress and promote healing because it supports your health and well-being. You can overcome health issues and prevent more problems in the future by maintaining your positive outlook.

Effects

• The Mayo Clinic says that positive thinking can support healing in a number of ways. It fights depression and anxiety and allows you to build up healthy coping skills. When the body is under less stress, it is better able to focus its energy and efforts on healing. Positive healing also strengthens immunity, which helps fight certain illnesses. For many people, it lessens unhealthy habits and behaviors like smoking and overeating that can impair healing.

Methods

• The main method to use positive thinking for healing is to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Many people focus on the negatives and blow up problems in their minds. They imagine that the worst case scenario will happen. They also find ways to blame themselves, adding guilt to their overall stress. Positive thinking can be used to do a reality check that removes blame and puts the problem in a realistic perspective.

  The Mayo Clinic says that positive self-talk can be used throughout the day. If you catch yourself drifting into negative thoughts, stop yourself and immediately replace them with something positive. Even if your mind state is neutral, occasionally make the effort to find something positive on which to focus. Remind yourself that focusing on upbeat thoughts will help you heal and support your good health.

  You should also surround yourself with positive people who support your upbeat state of mind. This will help you maintain a good mind state that supports your healing.

Frequency

• Positive thinking should be used on a daily basis to have the maximum effect on healing. Many people get into a habit of negative self-talk. Positive thinking must be used consistently in order to break this habit. Eventually it will become your default thought pattern, but it takes time to replace ingrained patterns. If you willfully change negative thoughts to positive ones, eventually it will become your automatic reaction. Keep in mind that it takes 21-28 days to change a habit, so be patient with yourself.