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Making up your mind to be Happy
by Kory Zimney, PT - June 7, 2011
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be,” Abraham Lincoln once said.
Current research in neuroscience and psychology shows this statement to be more scientific medical fact then just a witty comment. You are more in control of our emotions and anxiety levels than you think. The negative biological effects from stress come from how you think and react to outside stimulus. People with increased anxious tendencies react in a more fearful way then a person who is able to cope in a calmer fashion.
So here are a few tips to reduce stress:
1. Research has shown that spending time with friends is good for mental health. Schedule regular time, at least one time per month, with friends to ward off chronic stress. Laughter is a key activity that has been shown to decrease cortisol, the primary stress hormone in people.
2. Positive thinking does not add to your already stressful to-do-list. It creates instant good thoughts and helps shift away from negative thinking. Negative thinking enhances anxious tendencies. It’s not as simple as “mind over matter”, but what your mind thinks of does matter. So as hard as it seems with some circumstances, make yourself look at positive things about a situation and focus more attention to them over the negatives.
Kory Zimney is a practicing physical therapist in Iowa. He focuses on helping people move forward with their health and function through movement and exercise. This and other articles by Kory can be found at his blog: http://koryzimney.blogspot.com/
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
