If negative thoughts keep running through your head, it may be time to put on a pair of rose-colored glasses. Looking at life’s challenges in a more positive way can improve your physical well-being and even increase your life span! People who see the glass as half full, have lower rates of depression, stronger immune systems, a reduced risk of heart disease, and better coping skills during hard times.

Don’t let your emotions rule you. Once you start to recognize situations that put you in that negative cycle, create pointless worry, or break down your confidence, you can take control with active thinking. If you tend to be a negative thinker, keep practicing. Like any other habit, changing your thought process will take time.

Make a list of areas in your life that keep you dwelling in negative energy; then write out a few positive statements for each. Focus on what you want, not what you don’t want.