MatsuShimizu
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How Complaining Affects the Brain and General Health - Psych2Go
Factcheck from Google. For details, refer to link m1psychology [3] below:
What Complaining Does to Your Brain - Jack Canfield
Jack Canfield (born August 19, 1944) is an American author, motivational speaker, corporate trainer, and entrepreneur. - Wikipedia
From psychology website, VeryWellMind [1]:
As you focus more on minimizing your complaining and maximizing your gratitude and excitement about life, you will likely feel a difference in your stress levels and your level of overall life satisfaction.
The first step is to become aware when you are complaining too much or slipping into rumination. The next step is to try something new. The following proven strategies can help:
- Thought-stopping. This is a technique that many therapists recommend for a variety of issues because it works well. When an undesirable thought enters your head, you literally interrupt it with the mental image of a stop sign or the word “stop!” and move on to a different thought.
- Journaling. Writing in a journal brings many health and wellness-related benefits. The trick to effective journaling is to write about the problem and your feelings about it and then brainstorm solutions and see the positives in your situation.
- Seeking support. Social support is a great stress reliever, and if you're lucky, you have some very supportive and wise people in your life to talk to when you're down. Instead of complaining to them, laugh with them. If you face a bigger challenge, tell them how you're feeling, get their thoughts (and maybe a hug), and then move on to happier topics. No complaining necessary.
- Remaining grateful. Counting my blessings is one of my favorite ways to get out of a bad mood or switch my focus away from the annoying things in life. And it’s hard to complain when you’re thinking about how lucky you are.
- Taking action. The urge to complain comes from a dissatisfaction with something that’s going on in one’s life (often coupled with a feeling of inability to change it). Complaints can be a signal that action is needed. So, the next time you feel like complaining, instead focus on what you can do to change your circumstances—and then (if possible) do it.
- Cultivating optimism. It’s much easier to drop negative habits by replacing them with positive ones. (In fact, many experts say that this is the only effective way to do it!) Replacing negative thoughts and words with optimistic ones brings so many benefits. It’s worth trying, even if you’re not planning on giving up complaining anytime soon.
From VeryWellMind [2]:How to maintain a gratitude journal for stress relief
The following are simple steps to maintaining a gratitude journal, which is a useful tool for stress management.
Decide on a journal. You may want to maintain your journal online or in paper form. When deciding which journal method to use, think about:
- Whether you'd rather type or print. If you spend all day on the computer, writing on paper may be a good change.
- Where you'd like to do the bulk of your writing. Will you want to journal in bed before going to sleep? Can you steal a few minutes alone in the den each night?
- Whether privacy is an issue that may affect your decision. Keep in mind that a computer is not entirely secure, especially online word processing software. Likewise, your personal laptop may be better if you'd like to keep your thoughts private in your home.
- Your gratitude journal can consist entirely of lists.
- You can write a preset number of items per entry (10 per day, for example).
- You can just resolve to write about whatever seems right for a particular day.
- You want to make a commitment that will keep you inspired to write, even if you aren't always in the mood because this exercise can help change your mood.
- Just don't allow your schedule to be so rigid that you'll be tempted to give up the whole plan if you slip up once or twice.
- If you find yourself skipping days with increasing frequency, gently remind yourself why you're maintaining the gratitude journal in the first place.
- Be grateful that you are able to get back into the habit of writing again anytime you want. Enjoy!
- Gratitude journals tend to be most effective when you write about three items at the end of each day. This is regular enough and simple enough to be do-able and writing at the end of the day tends to bring the best benefits.
- Remember that you may want to read over your journal entries in the future. This can be a great pick-me-up when you're feeling stressed or depressed.
- Experiment with the types of things you write about. If you find yourself always mentioning the obvious things ("I'm grateful for my children") every day, challenge yourself to notice the subtle things ("Today I had caramel ice cream cone, and it was amazing!")
- Remember that all gratitude doesn't need to be saved for the journal. Tell the people in your life how much you appreciate them. From people in your family to sales clerks and postal employees you encounter in your day, everyone likes to know that they're appreciated. Their positive reactions can help put you in a positive mood, too!
From VeryWellMind [4]:The Importance of Gratitude in the Time of COVID
Benefits of Gratitude During COVID-19
Research shows that positive emotions like gratitude are closely connected to health and wellness.1 Not only do positive emotions promote happiness; they also create an upward spiral in your life.
- Emotions like gratitude and humor also help you cope with anxiety and uncertainty by focusing your mind on the things in life that you value, as well as what is in your control, and what you can give back to others.
- Cultivating an attitude of gratefulness also can help build your resilience, which in turn, helps you cope with your current issues or problems and provides a way for you to move forward despite the challenges you face.1
- There also is some research that indicates that practicing gratitude during a crisis like COVID-19 is not only important for boosting your mood psychologically, but also helps your physical health in response to illnesses like respiratory infections.
One study of 118 adults found being grateful resulted in significantly fewer physical health problems such as:
- Sleep disturbances
- Headaches
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Respiratory infections
Ways to Be More Grateful
- Write a Thank-You Note, Text, or Email. Expressing gratitude can help you feel more connected to other people in your life.
- Tell Someone You Appreciate Them. Whether it's a thumbs up in a Zoom meeting or a simple statement during a telephone call, letting someone know you are grateful for them not only improves your mood, but improves their mood as well.
- Start a Gratitude Journal.
- Make Gratitude a Daily Habit. One way to make gratitude a regular part of your day is to make it a habit to think of three things you are thankful each day.
- Look for Patterns in Your Life. For instance, if you are regularly thankful for something in nature, getting outside may be what you need to boost your mood.
- Give Thanks Through Meditation. Countless studies have demonstrated that mindfulness and meditation can have a positive impact on a person's mental health and well-being.
- Keep Track of Everything You're Grateful For. Using a phone app like Gratitude Plus, you can record the things you're grateful for and reflect on them later when you are struggling.
- Give Thanks for Everyday Things. Think about the worst moments in your life. Then, contrast those with where you are now. Consider not only how you endured, but also what you learned through the experience.
[1] https://www.verywellmind.com/how-and-why-stop-complaining-3144882List of sources:
[2] https://www.verywellmind.com/writing-in-a-gratitude-journal-for-stress-relief-3144887
[3] https://m1psychology.com/complaining-is-bad-for-your-brain/
[4] https://www.verywellmind.com/why-gratitude-is-important-during-covid-19-5097076
About VeryWellMind: Check out their review board of psychiatrists here.
Verywell is a website providing health and wellness information by health professionals. It was launched on 26 April 2016 as a media property of About.com (now Dotdash) and its first standalone brand. Its content is created by 120 health experts and reviewed by board-certified physicians. - Wikipedia.
The website m1psychology [3] is a website that I found on Google search. It refers to these sources below. These links are located at the end of article [3] above: