Welcome to Understanding the Importance of Your Thoughts

Over the coming 30 days, we’ll be talking a lot about positive and creative thinking. It has a huge impact on every aspect of our lives and is something we should all strive towards. So come back daily for more blog posts and information on the topic here at thecherylcooper.com.

Today, I thought we’d get things started by looking at why your thoughts are so important. Our thoughts have a lot of power over our attitude: what we get done, how we perceive the world around us, and even how we impact others. In short, it really is important to pay attention to what we think and how we think.

Over the course of the month, I'm going to challenge you to pay attention to your thoughts. If you find yourself thinking negatively, work through the tips and strategies I’m going to share to turn it around. Try to start thinking more positively because life is going to get crazy later this year and your positive thoughts are what are going to bring you through the downtimes.

We’ll also be talking quite a bit about creative thinking. It’s just as important as positive thinking because it allows you to think outside the box and formulate innovative solutions. Combining the two will have a huge positive impact on your life at home, at work, and in general.

We like to think of our mind and the thinking we do as something separate from our body and our environment. After all, what do our thoughts have to do with our overall health or how well we perform in school or at work? How could our private thoughts impact our relationships with loved ones? They're just thoughts, right?  If we don’t voice them, they shouldn’t have an impact on anything at all…correct?

WRONG!

Your thoughts have tremendous effects on your body, your environment, and those around you. For example, when you watch a sad movie or recall a sad memory, you start to cry. Your thoughts affect your emotions and your body. When you think about the huge amount of work that’s piling up on your desk or the meeting you have with the new boss in the morning, your heart rate speeds up, and you may feel anxiety throughout your body. Your cortisol levels increase raise, you can’t sleep and then feel groggy the next day.  What we think causes a compounded impact on our bodies.

When you dwell in the direction of negative thoughts for a while, it may lead you down the road of depression, which causes you to suffer from all the physical symptoms that go along with it. Thankfully, there is a positive solution. You can lift your mood by thinking positive thoughts (+ a few deep breaths)!  Yep, it's that simple.  (Note I'm not referring to clinically diagnosed depression - really, I'm referring to sadness.)

Various studies show that positive thinking helps our bodies heal faster. Think about the infamous “Placebo Effect”. For example, by subconsciously thinking that you’re getting a pill that will fix you up, your physical symptoms improve. The point is, that our thoughts have a direct impact on our bodies.

 And it doesn’t stop there…

How you think and what you think also affect those around you. Take a moment to think of a time when you had a boss who was always in a good mood and had nothing but positive things to say. From there, think about a boss that was always focusing on the negative and maybe even seemed miserable. This person can “infect” and influence an entire team!

Are you now starting to see why “what” and “how” you think are important?  Come back tomorrow to learn more about one of my favorite subjects.  The Power of Positive Thinking!