Positive thinking and mindset: Change your thoughts

Positive thinking is the practice of focusing on the positive side of things. It’s part of positive psychology, and has been increasingly popular since the 1990’s.

In fact, the power of positive thinking has been known for millennia. Greek philosophers celebrated the importance of concepts like “eudaimonia'' (roughly translated to fulfilment) and hedonic happiness, or subjective well being. And slightly more recently, Thomas Jefferson advised to “Take things always by their smooth handle”.

For example, positive thinking has been shown to have a host of physical benefits. It is known to improve physical health and longevity, and to reduce blood-pressure and stress. It also reduces the risk of heart attacks and increases resistance to illnesses like the common cold.

Positive thinking also changes the way we think. This can lead to benefits for individuals and teams in the world of work. For example, positive thinking leads to increased clarity of thinking, creativity and problem solving. It also helps people manage their mood more effectively, and improve their coping skills