Dead week is here and finals are all too rapidly approaching. If there is a time of year to be stressed, the next two weeks are it. One way to manage the stress of these final days is positive thinking. While positive thinking sounds like something simple that does not have a huge effect on our lives, new research is showing that it actually does. Studies have shown people can literally “think themselves sick.” People who think they are more susceptible to illness and think about getting sick are more likely to become sick than those who did not.
Of course, positive thinking is something that we should always do. Becca Levy, an associate professor of epidemiology and social psychology at Yale, conducted a survey into aging and death that concluded people who thought they would live longer did, in fact, live longer. Positive thinking can lead to lowering depression, increasing physical well being and greater resistance to catching the cold.
Rather than wallowing in shame and self-pity, approach your upcoming finals and all your other problems with positive thoughts and emotions. The Mayo Clinic recommends beginning with positive and optimistic self-talk: the endless stream of thoughts that run through the mind. Instead of telling yourself, “I can’t do it,” say, “I will try my best.”
Additional methods can help you think positively. Smiling has been proven to reduce stress. Meditating, practicing yoga and concentrated breathing for even 10 minutes a day will help you experience more positive emotions. Surround yourself with positive people because being around negative thinkers will only make you think negatively. Finally, getting enough sleep has also been proven to lead to more happiness and better academic performance.
Optimistic thinking is not the only solution to becoming a more successful person; hard work and tenacity play a much more important role. However, positive thinking will help you to believe in yourself and believe that you can succeed. Rather than thinking of your courses as impossible challenges, try thinking of them as opportunities to gain knowledge and improve your study skills.
The football team won a hard fought and a well fought victory in the Iron Bowl, and now all that is left is finals. Just as the players on the football team knew they could not win without thinking that they could win, we must think we can succeed, if we are to succeed. René Descartes famously wrote, “I think, therefore I am.” If you think positively, then you will be a positive person.
John David Thompson is a sophomore studying piano performance. His column runs biweekly.
