Managing Osteoarthritis With a Positive Mindset
People with a positive outlook are more likely to have better health, more fun, and a longer life. For people with osteoarthritis, there’s yet another reason to be an optimist – it can help you stay active and independent. There is evidence that people with negative attitudes are more likely to experience bothersome osteoarthritis pain than those with positive attitudes.
If you tend to be pessimistic, don't despair — positive thinking skills can be learnt. With practice, you can teach yourself to look at life’s events and challenges with a positive mindset. ‘Self-talk’ is the internal conversation you have with yourself all the time. It’s a good idea to pause and evaluate your self-talk – and see whether it’s keeping you from living life to the fullest.
Here are some examples of how negative self-talk can be changed to something positive:
| NEGATIVE SELF-TALK | POSITIVE SELF-TALK |
I can't do it. I've never done it before. |
It's an opportunity to do something new. |
I don’t have the expertise. |
I’ll work together with someone who can help me. |
I won't go away with the family for the long weekend as it's too far from the nearest town. |
It's probably a beautiful place and I might have a relaxing time. |
Embrace a positive attitude today. It can open up doors to exciting new opportunities, and give you the self-confidence to pursue your goals.
