

Introduction
The human mind is extremely complex. The study of the human mind has given rise to several questions that are answered and finally, these answers have helped human beings to lead a better and happy life.
One such question that arises is ‘do thoughts affect us?’ Yes. Thoughts do affect the entire human psychology as well as physiology.
This gives importance to the habit of positive thinking, or simply saying, carrying a positive outlook. Positive thinking has lots of responses to the human body as well as the human mind.
In this, the effects of positive thinking along with the steps of practicing positive thinking have been mentioned. One can read these to know all about the Habit of Positive Thinking.
What is Positive Thinking?
Positive thinking refers to the method of approaching the challenges of life with a positive outlook. It does not mean that one should see the world through rose-colored lenses by ignoring or glossing and exaggerating the negative aspects of life.
Positive thinking does not necessarily mean avoidance during the cases of difficult situations.
Rather, positive thinking means that one should make the most out of the potential obstacles that come in one’s life by trying to see and focus on the best and the positive side of the situation or even in other people, and viewing oneself and one’s abilities positively by focusing on the positive side of everything.
People who have an optimistic explanatory style generally tend to give themselves the credit when good things happen and typically blame all sorts of outside forces for bad outcomes.
These people also tend to see all the negative events and negative sides as temporary and very strange aspects.
Positive thinkers are more likely to use an optimistic style of explanation, but how people approach any event can also vary from person to person depending upon the exact nature of the situation.
For example, a person who is generally a positive thinker might use a more pessimistic explanatory style in a particular situation that is challenging in nature, such as in the case of work or even at school.
Health Benefits Of Positive Thinking
In recent years, the so-called “power of positive thinking” has proved to gain the utmost amount of attention.
This can be given to the counts of credits of the self-help books that have come up in the market. Such books are extremely useful and every person should read them.
While these pop psychology books often talk about the values of positive thinking or philosophies like the law of attraction as a sort that is more inclined towards the psychological panacea, researchers have found out that many extremely real health benefits are linked to the habit of positive thinking and carrying an optimistic attitude.
Positive thinking is linked to a wide range of health benefits that are mentioned below.
● Better stress management and coping skills
● Enhanced psychological health
● Greater resistance to the common cold
● Increased physical well-being
● Longer life span
● Lower rates of depression
● Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease that is related to death
One theory that is believed is that people who think positively generally tend to be less affected by stress.
Researchers also suggest that having a more positive automatic thought can help people to become even more resilient in the face of the various stressful events that come in life.
People who have high levels of positive thinking skills are more likely to walk away from stressful life events with a higher sense that describes the meaningfulness of life.
Another possibility that is expected is that people who think positively tend to live healthier lives, in general, as compared to the ones who do not, and they may involve themselves in exercise more, follow a more nutritious diet, and tend to avoid unhealthy behaviors.
How To Practice Positive Thinking?
There are various ways in which one can start practicing the skills of positive thinking. These are listed below.
● Notice your thoughts
One should start paying attention to the different types of thoughts that one experiences every day.
If one notices that many of the thoughts are negative, one should immediately make a conscious effort to reframe how one is thinking and should then try to divert it to the positive aspect of various situations, persons, and so on.
● Write in a gratitude journal
By practicing gratitude, one can have a wider range of positive benefits and this can help one to learn how to develop a better outlook.
Experiencing grateful thoughts generally helps people to feel more optimistic.
● Use positive self-talk
How one talks to oneself can play an important role in shaping the outlook that one possesses.
Studies have shown that by shifting to more positive self-talk, one can have a positive impact on one’s emotions and the way one responds to stress.