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The Power of Positive Thinking and Stress

Nearly everyone has experienced a day in which Murphy's Law reigns. You might wake up late, hunt for misplaced keys and once in the car discover the gas light on. By this time, your heart is racing and your breathing is shallow. While these are the most common responses to stress and seem automatic, training the mind to think more optimistically can improve the ability to cope and reduce serious stress-related health issues.

  1. The Body and Stress

    • According to author Kenneth Pelletier, writer of "Mind as Healer, Mind as Slayer," "There are two primary physiological systems which are activated by stress. One is the automatic or involuntary nervous system, and the other is the endocrine system. It is at this point that the role of the hypothalamus in the mid-brain becomes increasingly important." Focusing thoughts on something positive can help overcome the stressor's negative effects on breathing, circulation, heart rate and body tension.

    Stress and Illness

    • People's immune systems become compromised during negative reactions to stress. In "Love, Medicine, and Miracles," Dr. Bernie Siegel states, "Not everyone who suffers a tragic loss or stressful change in lifestyle develops an illness. The deciding factor seems to be how one copes with the problem." Because few people can afford to become ill, making the choice to be happy, regardless of the situation, can keep the immune system strong.

    Thoughts and Reality

    • Norman Vincent Peale writes in "The Power of Positive Thinking" that "A confident and optimistic thought pattern can modify or overcome the fact altogether." While people prefer to believe that they have control over their lives, unfair and uncontrollable unforeseen events frequently occur. Perception of a situation, however, is always under a person's control. Because thoughts act as a magnet, focusing on the negative increases stressful situations and makes people feel worse. Thinking in a positive manner, however, can create a different reality.

    Power of Positive Thought

    • According to Louise Hay, author of "The Power Is Within You," "Our subconscious minds make no judgments. The subconscious mind accepts everything we say and creates according to our beliefs." Whether positive or negative, about ourselves or others, the way we speak and think influences our lives. Hay also states, "You can choose to release your negative concept of life." Choosing to focus on the positive, instead of the negative, can help calm the stress response.

    Strategies

    • An effective way to alleviate stress is to shift the focus of your mind to something positive. The book "Enhancing Your Mind Body Spirit" by International Masters Publishers advises, "Recall a time or place where you felt content and relaxed. Use your imagination to reconstruct the place and how you felt while you were there." This exercise helps the body relax. The added advantage, according to the same source, is that "the challenging parts of your life no longer feel so daunting and stressful."

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