7 Exercises That Train Your Brain to Stay Positive

As a daily positive thinker, life’s distractions, negative people, and other external “brain drainers” can leave you faced with challenges to conquer. The good part is, you can learn to train your brain to help stay positive when times are tough.

Try these 7 tips to help train your brain to stay positive:

1. Daily Gratitude

Place your journal, a pad and pen or your phone with the gratitude app next to your bed each night.  When you wake up each morning, make it a habit to write down at least three things you’re grateful for. It can be anything from family and work to a good nights rest or the morning sunrise – whatever is positive in your life deserves a little thank you note from your soul. When attention is focused on gratitude, that which we’re grateful for will expand.

If it’s difficult to think of something right away, realize that something JUST happened that you can be grateful for…  you woke up today.   Not everyone gets that opportunity.

2. Stay Centered

Staying centered throughout the day will help keep you from being derailed by negative energy that tries to consume your confident, positive attitude.  You can find balance in many activities, such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing, walking in nature or any other activity that puts your mind at rest.  When you the mind ceases, the soul is allowed to speak. The calming energy produced from a good centering exercise surrounds the body, bringing about an unshakable spirit that will surely help you stay positive.

3. Stay Active

The adage “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop” couldn’t be more true.  When the mind is focused on completing the day’s schedule successfully, negative energy is powerless.  Now you may ask “but what about the external shocks from other people or experiences that go sour?”

There are always things that may come up when you are staying active and focused on positively completing your day, but that’s where the other exercises like staying centered are ultimately going to help you stay positive throughout.

8 Signs Someone Is Too Stressed (And Doesn’t Know It)

In this article, we discuss eight of the most common physical effects of too much stress. We’ll also provide some tips on how to effectively cope with stressors in our lives.

FIRST, HERE ARE THE EIGHT PHYSICAL SIGNS OF TOO MUCH STRESS:

1. HEADACHES

The Mayo Clinic states that headaches are more likely to occur when we’re stressed. Furthermore, stress is the number one cause of tension headaches. The most common type of headache, tension-type headaches can “cause mild, moderate or intense pain in your head, neck, and behind your eyes.” Stress can both create and exacerbate other types of headaches, including migraines.

2. Digestive problems

When the brain opens the hormone floodgates, the digestive system undergoes a kind of initial “shock.” Medical experts have uncovered an intricate connection between the brain and digestive system, which helps to explain why stress can cause a number of digestive problems to surface. Chronic stress can also worsen certain conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

3. FREQUENT COLDS AND INFECTIONS

Stress causes our circulatory system to kick into overdrive (due to increased heart rate). This physiological effect, in conjunction with a rise in blood pressure, can suppress the immune system. Of course, this weakens the immune system’s ability to seek out and neutralize illness-causing bacteria and other agents.

 4. WEIGHT GAIN

Although stress reactions are more commonly associated with weight gain, a minority of individuals experience fluctuating weight – and even weight loss. That said, elevated levels of cortisol “has been shown to up appetite, drive craving or “junk” food, and make it (easier) to accumulate belly fat.”

5. STOMACH ISSUES

As mentioned, stress reactions can throw the digestive system through a loop. Relatedly, stomach problems are among the most commonly cited symptoms of those with high stress levels. Nausea, indigestion, cramps and aches are all potential stomach-related problems resulting from a stress reaction.

6. FATIGUE

Emotional, mental and physical stimuli can cause stress that interrupts our body’s normal functioning. The presence of stress increases pressure and tension levels within the body, which makes it more prone to fatigue, also potentially manifesting into mental or physical exhaustion.

7. CHEST PAIN OR PALPITATIONS

Stress creates anxiety, and anxiety creates stress. This frustrating mental cycle can cause chest tightness and/or pain. Additionally, chest pains are often frightening experiences – and this reaction further exacerbates the stress/anxiety that is present.

Chronic stress is itself a risk factor for heart disease and heart attack. Recent research studies have also linked stress and the mechanisms for blood clotting, which can cause moderate to severe heart problems.