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 everyone start the day by saying, out loud, “Today is going to be a great day.” He maintains that these magic words are effective when spoken to yourself or someone else.
When you do that, he said, you subconscious mind begins to look for activities and moments you are looking forward to experiencing as the day unfolds.
The good doctor imparts that this sunny perspective is crucial 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 those surveyed, a morning cup of coffee and AM exercise were requisite for starting the day on a positive note.
In addition to coffee and exercise, the research revealed that smiling and thinking something positive (48 percent), waking up early (48%), and meditating (43%) were key to starting the morning off right.
Earlier this year, researchers found that a daily affirmation practice was linked to greater self-compassion, mental well-being, and reduced stress in college students, with more repetition leading to greater benefits.
Further, optimism has been shown to improve a person’s emotional well-being. A 2022 study from the Boston University School of Medicine showed that those who were more optimistic were less likely to report negative moods.
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 the positive vibes, Amen added his key for cognitive fortitude in a viral TikTok snippet.
“To be mentally strong,” he began, “You have to notice what you like about other people more than what you don’t like.”
The doctor explained that acknowledging the good in others will bring more good into your own life.
“I often think of good parents, coaches, and teachers,” said Amen. “They notice what they like and teach when things aren’t good.”
“Bad bosses, bad teachers, bad parents,” he continued, “they notice the negative and never let you forget it.”
“Don’t be like that.”
