Make it a good day.
Dr. Daniel Amen, a double board-certified psychiatrist and brain imaging researcher in California, has taken to TikTok to share the positive morning affirmation that he promises can defeat negative thinking.
Amen, whose A-list clientele includes Bella Hadid, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and Meghan Trainor, says the mantra needs to be said out loud to get the full effect.
Amen recommends that everyone start the day by saying out loud, “Today is going to be a great day.” He claims that these magical words are effective when spoken to oneself or someone else.
When you do this, he said, your subconscious mind begins to seek out activities and moments that you look forward to experiencing as the day unfolds.
The good doctor points out that this sunny outlook is essential to programming the brain to seek the positive.
“This is very important. People who are negative have lower activity, especially in the prefrontal cortex. You want to start every day with, ‘Today is going to be a great day,'” he said.
Previous research shows that 85 percent of Americans are making a conscious effort to think positively each morning. For half of the respondents, a morning cup of coffee and morning exercise were necessary to start the day on a positive note.
In addition to coffee and exercise, the research found that smiling and thinking about something positive (48 percent), waking up early (48 percent) and meditating (43 percent) were key to starting the morning off right.
Earlier this year, researchers found that a daily practice of affirmations was linked to grself-compassion, mental well-being, and reduced stress in college students, with more repetition leading to greater benefits.
Furthermore, optimism has been shown to improve a person’s emotional well-being. A 2022 study from Boston University School of Medicine showed that those who were more optimistic were less likely to report negative mood.
Positive thinking has also been shown to reduce memory loss and cognitive decline in older populations.
Dr. Amen has previously shared his tips for managing anxiety, breaking a panic attack and curbing people-pleasing tendencies.
Doubling down on positive vibes, Amen added his key to cognitive resilience in a viral TikTok clip.
“To be mentally strong,” he began, “you have to notice what you like in other people more than what you don’t like.”
The doctor explained that accepting the good in others will bring more good into your life.
“I often think about good parents, coaches and teachers,” Amen said. “They notice what they like and learn when things aren’t good.”
“Bad bosses, bad teachers, bad parents,” he continued, “they notice negativity and never let you forget it.”
“Don’t be like that.”
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Image Source : nypost.com