1. Work Smarter

One of the lesser known advantages of being positive is that it can actually help you work smarter and not harder. There are studies that show that positive people outperform negative people in work environments, as the positive environment fostered a improved performance.While this study was done in a workplace setting, the same can be assumed for school or other settings where you work with others!

2. Shrug off Stress

You know those people. Those people who have permanent smiles and never seem to let anything get them down. And whether they’re faking it or not, an advantage of being a positive person is that you can cope better with stress! It makes sense, if you’re able to focus on the positive side of life, you can certainly handle stress and all the curve balls that life throws your way better than dwelling on the negative!

3. Encourage Others

Let’s face it, the world can be very harsh and cruel at times. And a good reason to be optimistic is to encourage and inspire others through hard times. It’s definitely not an easy job, but the world needs positive people to lead others to think positive and do good for others. The Mayo Clinic also cites positivity as a trait that helps you cope better during hardships. Think of how dark and dismal the world would be without the powers of positivity!

4. Improved Health

Another fantastic reason to be optimistic is that you can enjoy greater health! Harvard conducted a study with a group of 25-year old students and followed them throughout the course of their lives and found that the optimists were in better health than the pessimists at ages 45 and 60. Other studies have identified a link between health risks and pessimism. See, it pays to be positive!

5. Better Resilience

Being resilient is another advantage of being a positive person that we can all benefit from! Resilience allows you to face hardships with strength and determination. Optimists have the admirable ability to focus on what they can do to improve the situation when they’re faced with difficult situations. Doing so ultimately helps them to carry on and overcome life's challenges!

6. Increased Well-being

As you can tell, there are a myriad of benefits to being positive. And another reason to be optimistic is that you experience greater overall well-being! This makes total sense since being positive can help improve your immunity, be more resilient and cope better with stress. Positive people have a good reason to be upbeat and happy, they feel great!

7. Live Longer

Studies have shown that optimists tend to live longer and cope with illnesses better than their pessimistic counterparts. Maintaining a positive outlook won’t magically fix everything. But having a good attitude can be an important coping mechanism and go a long way when dealing with a long-term illness, per studies reported by the BBC News.

Being a positive person isn’t always easy but the benefits are well worth it! Being a positive person benefits others as well as yourself so it’s definitely something to be proud of. This isn’t saying that everyone should change their personality, but there are times where maintaining an optimistic outlook can serve you well. Do you consider yourself to be a positive person?