If you’re absolutely in a negative mood and you must do big picture thinking or you’re in a positive mood and must think critically, try to shift your moods and mindset. Music is a wonderful tool for altering moods. Exercising is another proven way to boost mood. Do not attempt to change your mood by thinking about past sorrowful or positive events, that can lead to emotions that spiral out of control.
When a task does not call for positivity the best way for you to maximize your performance is to embrace your negative feelings. Why? Anxious people benefit from reflecting about the specific things that might go wrong and what they can do to prevent those things.
There are health benefits of negativity. Studies have found that older people who were pessimistic about their future were less likely than optimists to experience disability or death during the ensuing decade. Their negativity likely improved their ability to identify and avoid risks. Optimism and good health might be because the same genetic factors that make people prone to optimism also make them less likely to have certain health issues.
If you are a worrier, worrying probably isn’t shortening your life but it might extend it by calling your attention to a danger that an optimistic person might overlook.
More about negativity in a world of positive people in a subsequent blog post. If you are concerned about your negativity and are wanting to change the way you think, please contact me at 361.442.9590 or at holtadams2002@yahoo.com