How’s Your PMA (Positive Mental Attitude?)

I have had psoriasis for over 50 years. One of my favorite things to say to other people is, “be positive, look at the glass as half full” or something like “tomorrows another day, it will get better!”

Sometimes I know people want to tell me to shut up. There have been times when these words were said to me and I would just say to myself, you don’t have a clue what I am going through.

Then I come to my senses, snap out of it and remember that staying positive is better for me than getting negative. It’s hard to be positive all the time and it’s even harder if you have psoriasis and worse if you have psoriatic arthritis on top of all that. It took me years to work on my PMA or positive mental outlook.

Staying positive

How can we get to a place where we’re positive all the time? If you have psoriasis, then staying positive will become your greatest ally. Negative thoughts and a negative attitude will not help you or your psoriasis. In fact, being negative can actually harm your condition.

When you’re negative you tend to be more stressed and less relaxed. Your body needs rest and then it can become more relaxed.

A strong boost of positivity can stimulate the part of the brain that relaxes and calm the areas of your body that are out of whack, specifically your immune system.

There are some simple steps you can take that make a big impact on creating a positive environment.

• Practice gratitude - all of our negative thinking can sometimes make it hard to see how much is truly wonderful about our lives. Keep a gratitude journal, as writing tends to reinforce thinking. It's good to write in this journal at night before you go to bed; fill your mind with positive thoughts before you go to sleep. You will see your blessings outweigh the burdens.
• Stay away from negative people – sometimes this is the hardest thing for a person to do, especially if the negative one is family. You must surround yourself with positive people. Also, psoriasis sufferers need a support group. You need to connect and build support systems with people that understand what you’re going through.
• Have fun – you have to learn to enjoy your life and live it to the fullest. This means socialize. Do not allow your psoriasis to make you retreat into hibernation. Do more of what you enjoy.
• Watch your words – there are several scriptures in the Bible that talk about keeping your tongue from evil and negativity. Also, how there is power of life and death in the tongue. Whether you believe in the Bible or not it is good advice and there is some science behind it. You must be selective of the words you use to describe yourself and your life.
• Watch your triggers – people living with psoriasis have triggers. For some people it could be alcohol, smoking or stress. These triggers can cause bad outbreaks and increase inflammation. All of this will end up with you being in pain.

Start reading positive books, saying affirmations and practicing kindness are also other good ways to add positivity to your daily life. Make one person smile. Don’t get sucked into other people’s battles either.

One of the most exhausting and negative things you can do is problem solve or referee someone else’s life. Just focus on your positive mental attitude and know that staying positive is one of the best things you can do for your psoriasis and yourself. I do.