Cultivating an upbeat mindset can improve your mental and physical health.

Heeding an old pop music adage, “Don’t worry, be happy,” can do more for your health and well-being than you might think.

Research has long linked optimism with a lower risk for heart problems. And now comes a study in Stroke, a journal of the American Heart Association, that found being optimistic can also lower your risk for stroke.

Even better, this health remedy won’t cost you a thing. You can begin by building the following pathways to a more positive attitude into your daily routine.

Create Balance
When challenges in your work and home life start to pile up, it’s all too easy to become overwhelmed. The result: even more stress and anxiety.

One way to counteract the negatives is to take time to focus on the positives, too. Keep a list or journal of things that are going well for you.

Simplify your life by dropping extraneous activities. That can give you more time to relax and regroup.

Build Resilience
Resilience—the ability to pick yourself up after traumatic events or adverse circumstances—is a character trait you can learn and use to bounce back from hard times. Several strategies can help you foster this ability:

• Seek and maintain strong, positive relationships with family, friends, and community members.
• Trust your ability to make good decisions and solve problems effectively.
• Keep problems in perspective.
• Seek encouragement by joining a self-help or support group. Knowing you’re not alone and sharing solutions with others who face similar challenges can provide reassurance.

Breathe Deep
Learning a relaxation exercise such as deep breathing can help you relieve stress and negativity. To practice deep breathing:

• Lie down. Put one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest.
• Let your stomach rise as you slowly breathe in.
• Briefly hold your breath before slowly breathing out.
• Repeat until you feel relaxed and peaceful.

Develop a Positive Attitude
Granted, it’s hard to be happy when you’re experiencing chronic pain or ongoing personal, financial, or work-related difficulties. Even so, making an effort to replace negative self-talk with positive messages can have a significant impact on your emotional state and your experience.

To make it happen:

• Shift your internal monologue from negative to positive messages.
• Counteract insecurity by remembering times when you succeeded.
• Don’t assume the worst will happen in a given situation.
• Don’t jump to negative conclusions when something doesn’t go your way. To avoid misinterpreting people’s behavior, give them the benefit of the doubt and don’t take things personally.

Learn to Meditate
Meditation can ease stress by helping you live in the present. Here’s one of the many ways to practice meditation:

• Pick a word or phrase that has meaning for you.
• Sit in a comfortable position in a quiet place with your eyes closed.
• Heed your breathing as you silently repeat your word when you exhale. If your mind wanders, go back to your word and keep repeating it.
• Open your eyes and slowly return to your daily life.

Replacing negative thoughts and behaviors with positive ones can be hard work. But sticking with it can help you reap many rewards.

By Barbara Floria, senior writer for Vitality. For more information, visit Mental Health America at www.mentalhealthamerica.net.

© Krames StayWell. Information is the opinion of the sourced authors and organizations. Personal decisions regarding health, diet, and exercise should be made only after consultation with the reader's own medical advisers. This material may not be reproduced for redistribution without written permission from Krames StayWell.