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How Can Being Positive Affect a Person?

A positive mental attitude is the result of your deciding to cognitively define issues in your life in a beneficial way, such as seeing a torn shirt as a chance to sew, a damaged fence as a circumstance to meet your new neighbor or a rainy day as an opportunity to relax. Researchers have long speculated about the connection of a positive attitude on many areas of your life, including stress, personal relationships and even health issues.

  1. Reduced Stress

    • Stress has numerous negative effects on the human body, including an increase in blood pressure, stress on internal organs and a reduced lifespan. You can lessen the feelings of stress in your life by keeping a positive mental attitude. This allows you to reduce the dissonance and stress in your life, and limit their effects on you. Some of the tensions in your life exist because of issues that are beyond your control, such as stress over health issues, discouragement with your career or problems that you cannot resolve with family members. You can keep a positive attitude to reduce these stresses and begin coping with their place in your life.

    Social Advantages

    • A positive attitude affects people around you, relaxing them in your company and giving them a positive impression of you. This can strengthen your relationships with others and improve their mood, giving them a positive attitude as well. Additionally, you may find that more people will want to spend time with you.

    Potential for Apathy

    • Developing a positive attitude about things you cannot or do not want to change is a healthy way to cope with those things in your life. Alternately, a positive attitude about things you can change often has a very negative effect. Often, the stress or unhappiness about these things in your life works as inspiration for you to make necessary changes. For instance, if you are a father who feels distressed about the lack of time you spend with your family, this displeasure can give you a reason to rework your schedule so you can spend more time with them.

    Theoretical Benefits

    • Scientists have speculated over a number of potential benefits of maintaining a positive mental attitude. These include an increased life span, reduced depression rates, increased resistances to diseases and increased cardiovascular health. While science has yet to determine if these advantages are a direct result of a positive mental attitude, researchers continue to look for links.

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