Thinking positively in 2023

Hello again from Beth, one of your Pharmacy Chicks! Last week Jennifer wrote about New Year’s Resolutions. This week as the new year starts, I want you to think about the health benefits of positive thinking and laughter. We are all beginning to recover from the mental, physical, and spiritual wilderness we have been in during the COVID pandemic. Focusing on positive thinking can help us in that recovery.

According to Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins Medicine, positive thinking can provide the following health benefits:

• Increased life span
• Lower depression and anxiety rates
• Reduced distress levels
• Increased resistance to the common cold
• Improved immune system function
• Improved cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Improved coping skills during times of hardship and stress

Are you a person that sees the glass as half empty or half full? When presented with a new situation or task, do you see an opportunity to learn something new or do you tell yourself that I can’t do this, and I’ve never done anything like this before? Positive thinking and optimism help with stress management. Now this positive thinking doesn’t mean that you ignore unpleasantness but that you approach it in a more positive and productive way.

            Positive thinking starts with how you talk to yourself – self-talk. Self-talk is the thoughts that run through your mind, those unspoken thoughts throughout your day. These thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of these thoughts come from logical reasoning and others come from misunderstandings or lack of information. Positive thinking is not avoiding or ignoring bad things. It is making the most of situations that are potentially bad, looking for the best in other people, and viewing yourself and your capabilities in a positive way.

            Laughter is another great stress reliever. Short-term effects occur when you laugh and smile, along with long term health improvements. Laughter not only helps mentally but can also produce physical changes in your body. Mayo Clinic shares that laughter can:

• Stimulate many organs. Laughter increases the intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs, and muscles, and increases neurotransmitters (dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin) that are released by your brain.
• Activate and relieve your stress response. Laughter fires up then cools down your stress response. It can increase then decrease your heart rate and blood pressure resulting in a relaxed feeling.
• Soothe tension. Laughter stimulates circulation and aids in muscle relaxation. This can help reduce the physical symptoms of stress.
• Improve your immune system. Positive thoughts release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially serious illnesses.
• Relieve pain. Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce endorphins, its own natural painkillers.
• Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can make it easier to cope with demanding situations. It helps you connect with other people.
• Improve your mood. Laughter can help lessen your stress, depression and anxiety and may make you feel happier with the release of dopamine and serotonin. It can also improve your self-esteem.

What can we do this year to focus on positive thinking and laughter? Here are some suggestions from Mayo Clinic on improving our positivity:

• Identify areas to change. Once you identify areas that you think negatively about, whether it’s work or personal relationships, focus on one area to approach in a more positive way.
• Check yourself. Throughout your day, stop and evaluate what you’re thinking about. If you see that your thoughts are mostly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them.
• Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during times of difficulty. Look for humor in everyday occurrences. When you can laugh at life or smile during stressful times, you will feel less stressed.
• Follow a healthy lifestyle. Try to exercise for about 30 minutes on most weekdays. You can split it into three 10-minute exercise periods. Exercise can positively affect your mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body.
• Surround yourself with positive people. Make sure the people in your life are positive, supportive people that you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. Negative people may increase your stress level.
• Practice positive self-talk. Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to someone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. Think about things you’re thankful for in your life. If a negative thought enters your mind, rationally evaluate it, and turn the thought into a positive thought.
• Practice smiling throughout the day. When you feel stress or have negative thoughts, put a smile on your face. That release of endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin will make you instantly feel better. And it can help those around you feel better as well.

My challenge to you for this new year is to practice positive thinking, laugh more, smile more, and improve your health in the process. We need all the positivity that we can find and share this year. Feel free to stop by Payless Family Pharmacy to see Jennifer or see me at Sparta Drug Center and I will share my smile with you! Pharmacy Chicks out!