Does the Power of Positive Thinking Work?

I like to call it the ability to change our minds.

How has your life changed since 2020?

Fear. Sickness. Death. We’ve all thought about these words more than before, many faced their reality, and everyone felt COVID’s influence disrupt their lives.

I faced a major challenge that year, one that began sucking me into a quicksand of sadness and fear.

And this morning, I read a New Yorker article about Yuval Noah Harari, author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind.

There are times, Harari told one reporter, when the thing “most responsible for your suffering is your own mind.”—quoted by Ian Parker in the New Yorker.

That statement grabbed me because it perfectly described what I’d gone through. I’d allowed my own mind to imagine way too many worst-case scenarios, none of which actually happened.

Luckily, I’m old enough to have fought with those demons before, and my better instincts reminded me how to cope. But, first, I needed to change my mind about what was happening.

Last year, I wrote about my experience.

I have been struggling lately with anxiety. And it feels awful.

• The results of a recent study showed a link between repetitive negative thinking and dementia.
• Negativity sends our bodies into a fight, flight, or freeze mode. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, floods our system to make us more alert and focused — ready to defend ourselves. When the stress continues too long, cortisol damages body systems.
• Research suggests that this overload of cortisol makes it harder for the body to control inflammation. This results in a lower immune system, the last thing we want in the face of COVID.
• Our negative thinking can turn into depression. When untreated, depression is implicated with an increased rate of diabetes, heart disease, and a higher risk of disability in old age.
• Depression is estimated to cause around 50% of suicides in the United States.

Yep. I was letting my mind take me in the wrong direction. Obviously, change was needed.

Again, from the New Yorker article I mentioned above, Ian Parker quotes Harari,

He said, “One thing I think about how humans work — the only thing that can replace one story is another story.”

As a writer, that makes perfect sense.

My files contain many, many unfinished drafts. Some of the stories seemed like a good idea at the time, and others contained a hint of compelling truth, but I couldn’t see how the parts connected. So I file them away.

Reviewing them later, I may hit move to trash, edit, or leave them where they are. Letting some time go by allows me to look at them more clearly and replace some of my thinking with a new story.

Here are some tips from the new story I told myself.

Whew! After reviewing the results of my anxious, depressed mind, I knew I had to make some changes. I needed to edit my thinking and erase some bad habits.

It was a painful reminder that it takes consistency to live a healthy life. Here are some ideas that helped me:

• I used some relaxation techniques. Here’s a resource page to check out some meditations.
• Exercise outdoors if possible. Sunshine and fresh air are natural antidepressants.
• Am I eating a healthy diet, drinking enough water, and avoiding too much alcohol and sweet, salty snacks?
• Spend more time socially connected. That was hard during the pandemic lockdown, but acknowledging my need and reaching out to friends and family by phone and Zoom helped.
• How’s my sleep? Am I going to bed and getting up at regular times, even when I don’t have anywhere to go?
• Could I journal or write down those negative thoughts?
• Filling my mind with less news and more positive messages helped. I began listening to positive podcasts as I walked, including one of my favorites, Rick Hanson’s Being Well.

Maybe it’s just the Power of Positive Thinking, but I’ll take it.

I like to think of these above techniques as tools to build a healthy life. All humans struggle at times—Life Can Be Hard, and we need to be kind to ourselves and each other.

Looking back over the last year, I’m certainly glad that the vaccine is working and deaths are decreasing. But, of course, nobody would ever want to revisit the events of the last year! However, we can learn from what we went through.

To each of us, that probably means something different. To me, it was to be more grateful for the good things in my life, however small. Conversely, when I focus on what’s wrong, I’ll always find something to complain about.

For those who suffered tragedy in the last year, I am so sorry. It’s a reminder for us all to treasure the happy times and focus on telling worthwhile stories.

At times, even with our best efforts, our moods continue to sink; if that’s you, please reach out for help. For mental health resources, see the National Helpline Database.

If you have suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1–800–273–8255 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

Cindy has been a farmer, teacher, bookstore owner, and writer. She loves books and is intensely curious about life. If you’d like to receive a brief Writer Weekly, please sign up here.