Positivity & a Positive Outlook: How it can benefit you

Although keeping positive during challenging times is not easy, having a general positive outlook in life can be beneficial in multiple ways. Research has correlated positive thinking with enhanced medical results, mental well-being, relationship satisfaction, and other areas. A positive outlook includes feelings of being hopeful, a belief that bad things are only temporary, more good things will come and being grateful for what one currently does have.

In the 1950s, an experiment (one that would be defined as cruel and inhumane by today's standards) on rats was conducted by Dr. Curt Richter. He studied how long rats would be able to swim for in water and found they would, initially, survive for about 15 minutes. With a second cohort of rats, he would let them swim for near 15 minutes and took them out, dried them, allowed them to rest for a bit and then placed them back in the water. Interestingly, the rats swam for much longer than 15 minutes afterwards. They were able to swim for nearly 60 hours. That is 239 times longer than what the initial cohort was capable of. Having hope can extend a rat's ability to survive that much more.

To have a person increase their skill, strength, education, or whatever ability by 2 to 10 times would be amazing. Imagine if you were to increase your abilities by 239 times or anything close to that amount. Wouldn't you want to unlock that potential or take some steps to be able to mimic a fraction of that? It appears people have this option readily available to us by choosing a more positive frame of mind.

In a different research study, Lisa R. Yanek, M.P.H. and her colleagues, found having a cheerful disposition and outlook on life could protect you from heart attack. There was an association between a positive well-being and a reduction in coronary events. The associations were confirmed by examining a different set of data that included nearly 6,000 people that were part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and found a link between having a positive outlook and a 13 percent reduction of experiencing a coronary event.

These are not the only studies that have empirical research that supports the benefits of a positive outlook. There's a plethora of research out there that supports various aspects of this which includes greater resistance to the common cold, enhanced psychological health, reducing stress, longer life, lower rates of depression, increased physical health, reduce frailty in old age, etc.

Aside from the physical and mental health benefits that a more positive outlook can bring about is the feelings it can illicit. Positive thinking can help increase the likeliness of feelings of joy and happiness. This can bring about an overall greater satisfaction with life. And the mere thought of knowing a method to increase your potential by an astounding 239 times in whatever area you wish to focus on can be fun and powerful to explore.

It should be said that balance is often the preferred mode to operate by. One can be positive and still mitigate against potential negative outcomes. One can hope for a good outcome and still take the tangible actions to increase the chances for that positive outcome to materialize. Ignoring specific steps of action that can help you along due to blind hope may go beyond positivity and enter a realm of delusion and irresponsibility.