BE POSITIVE

Positive thinking: Stop negative self-talk to reduce stress

Positive thinking helps with stress management and can even improve your health. Practice overcoming negative self-talk with examples provided.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you're optimistic or pessimistic — and it may even affect your health.

Indeed, some studies show that personality traits like optimism and pessimism can affect many areas of your health and well-being. The positive thinking that typically comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits. If you tend to be pessimistic, don't despair — you can learn positive thinking skills.

Understanding positive thinking and self-talk

Positive thinking doesn't mean that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life's less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst.

Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information.

If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you're likely an optimist — someone who practices positive thinking.

The health benefits of positive thinking

Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body. It's also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and don't smoke or drink alcohol in excess.

Identifying negative thinking

Not sure if your self-talk is positive or negative? Here are some common forms of negative self-talk:

• Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of the positive ones. For example, you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. That evening, you focus only on your plan to do even more tasks and forget about the compliments you received.
• Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you.
• Catastrophizing. You automatically anticipate the worst. The drive-through coffee shop gets your order wrong and you automatically think that the rest of your day will be a disaster.
• Polarizing. You see things only as either good or bad. There is no middle ground. You feel that you have to be perfect or you're a total failure.

Focusing on positive thinking

You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it does take time and practice — you're creating a new habit, after all. Here are some ways to think and behave in a more positive and optimistic way:

• Identify areas to change. If you want to become more optimistic and engage in more positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you typically think negatively about, whether it's work, your daily commute or a relationship. You can start small by focusing on one area to approach in a more positive way.
• Check yourself. Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you're thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to PUT a positive spin on them.
• Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed.
• Follow a healthy lifestyle. Exercise at least three times a week to positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy DIET to fuel your mind and body. And learn techniques to manage stress.
• Surround yourself with positive people. Make sure those in your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. Negative people may increase your stress level and make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.
• Practice positive self-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you.

Here are some examples of negative self-talk and how you can apply a positive thinking twist to them:

PUTTING positive thinking into practice

Negative self-talk	Positive thinking
I've never done it before.	It's an opportunity to learn something new.
It's too complicated.	I'll tackle it from a different angle.
I don't have the resources.	Necessity is the mother of invention.
I'm too lazy to get this done.	I wasn't able to fit it into my schedule, but I can re-examine some priorities.
There's no way it will work.	I can try to make it work.
It's too radical a change.	Let's take a chance.
No one bothers to communicate with me.	I'll see if I can open the channels of communication.
I'm not going to get any better at this.	I'll give it another try.

Practicing positive thinking every day

If you tend to have a negative outlook, don't expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. You may also become less critical of the world around you.

When your state of mind is generally optimistic, you're better able to handle everyday stress in a more constructive way. That ability may contribute to the widely observed health benefits of positive thinking.

DEHYDRATION

How Much Should You Drink to Avoid Dehydration?

You have been jogging for 20 minutes. You are hot and sweaty, and you are beginning to tire. What is the problem?

The most likely answer is that you are beginning to feel the effects of dehydration. Generally, the average person is not 100 percent hydrated. Add exercise and a warm climate, and it spells dehydration in a big way.

Do not depend on thirst as a signal to avoid dehydration!

Your body's drive to drink is not nearly as powerful as its drive to eat, and the thirst mechanism is even less powerful during exercise. Therefore, you must plan to drink early and often

How Much Should You Drink?

Before exercise:

Drink one to two cups (eight to 16 ounces) of fluid two hours before exercise to make sure you are well hydrated. Then drink another one-half to one cup immediately before exercise.

During exercise:

Drink one-half to one cup every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise. Although this might seem tough at first, once you schedule it into your regular training routine, you will quickly adapt to having fluid in your stomach. In fact, the fuller your stomach is, the faster it will empty.

After exercise:

Replace any fluid you have lost. Drink two cups of fluid for every pound of body weight you lose during exercise.

In hot, humid weather, you need to drink more than usual. (But do not forget that dehydration also occurs during cold weather exercise--your body temperature rises, and you still lose water through perspiration and respiration.)

What Should You Drink?

Should you just reach for the water bottle when you need to hydrate, or are sports drinks better? The answer to this question depends on how much and how hard you exercise--and how much you like water!

If you exercise less than one hour, water should be fine.

If you exercise longer than one hour, the fluid should also supply energy to your working muscles. In this case, drink about two to four cups per hour of fluids with carbohydrate concentrations of from 4 to 8 percent. (Most sports drinks fall in this range.)

The ideal fluid replacement beverage should encourage fluid consumption and promote fluid absorption.

What About the Sodium in Most Sports Drinks?

The average exerciser does not need to replace sodium or other electrolytes during exercise. Even well trained marathoners will reserve enough sodium to complete a competition. After heavy exercise, however, it is best to eat a meal that contains some sodium to replace what you may have lost. Follow your cravings--do not worry about restricting the sodium in your food immediately after running a marathon.

If you are participating in an ultra-endurance event that lasts four hours or more, you should consume a sports drink that contains sodium. Fifty to 120 milligrams consumed during exercise should be sufficient. (Sodium content in sports drinks can range from eight to 116 milligrams. Read the label.)

If you are just an average exerciser, you might think sodium in drinks is just a waste. However, sodium may play a different role for you. Sodium helps your body absorb fluid, and along with sugar, sodium may enhance a drink's taste, which can encourage you to drink more.

Therefore, if you are an avid water drinker, you will benefit little from using a sports drink unless you are exercising for at least one hour. However, if you do not like water, sports drinks that taste good and contain less than 8 percent carbohydrate and some sodium might offer you a performance advantage. At the very least, if they encourage you to drink more, they will have done their job.

Signs of Dehydration

It is essential that you are aware of the warning signs of dehydration and heat stress.

Early signs include:                           

• fatigue
• flushed skin
• lightheadedness
• appetite loss
• dark urine with a strong odor
• heat intolerance 

Severe signs include:

• difficulty swallowing
• sunken eyes and dim vision
• stumbling
• painful urination
• clumsiness
• numb skin
• shrivelled skin
• delirium
• muscle spasms

Be sure to drink plenty of fluids especially if you exhibit any of these warning signs.

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Body Mass Index Chart

Your body mass index can be calculated and compared on this chart

BMI Height (in) 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 Weight. (lbs) 4'10" 4'11" 5'0" 5'1" 5'2" 5'3" 5'4" 5'5" 5'6" 5'7" 5'8" 5'9" 5'10" 5'11" 6'0" 6'1' 6'2" 6'3' 6'4' 100 21 20 20 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 14 14 14 13 13 13 12 105 22 21 21 20 19 19 18 18 17 16 16 16 15 15 14 14 14 13 13 110 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 15 14 14 13 115 24 23 23 22 21 20 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 14 14 120 25 24 23 23 22 21 21 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 15 125 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 18 18 17 17 17 16 16 15 130 27 26 25 25 24 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 135 28 27 26 26 25 24 23 23 22 21 21 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 140 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 23 23 22 21 21 20 20 19 19 18 18 17 145 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 23 23 22 21 21 20 20 19 19 18 18 150 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 19 18 155 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 19 160 34 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 21 20 20 165 35 33 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 21 20 170 36 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 21 175 37 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 23 22 21 180 38 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 23 22 185 39 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 23 190 40 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 195 41 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 200 42 40 39 38 37 36 34 33 32 31 30 30 29 28 27 26 26 25 24 205 43 41 40 39 38 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 29 28 27 26 26 25 210 44 43 41 40 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 29 28 27 26 26 215 45 44 42 41 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 26 220 46 45 43 42 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 225 47 46 44 43 41 40 39 38 36 35 34 33 32 31 31 30 29 28 27 230 48 47 45 44 42 41 40 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 30 29 28 235 49 48 46 44 43 42 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 29 240 50 49 47 45 44 43 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 245 51 50 48 46 45 43 42 41 40 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 32 31 30 250 52 51 49 47 46 44 43 42 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 255 53 52 50 48 47 45 44 43 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 260 54 53 51 49 48 46 45 43 42 41 40 38 37 36 35 34 33 33 32 265 56 54 52 50 49 47 46 44 43 42 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 270 57 55 53 51 49 48 46 45 44 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 275 58 56 54 52 50 49