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Mind over Matter. NoLiving with multiple sclerosis often feels like sharing space with a mischievous, unpredictable companion—the MonSter. Some days it slumbers in the corner, barely noticed; on others, it stomps heavily across every waking hour, leaving exhaustion and discomfort in its path. In those moments, the temptation is to yield to frustration or despair. Yet the most reliable counterbalance I’ve found is not a pill or a procedure, but a mindset: staying positive., Mind over MonSter is the order of the day.

That phrase, of course, is easier said than lived. As a child, I was often urged to “think positive” by well-meaning adults. Back then, it felt like a shallow slogan, the sort of thing pinned on a school noticeboard alongside rules about running in corridors. I nodded, smiled, and carried on, never recognising the profundity of the directive. Only later in life—when the MonSter became a constant companion—did I grasp what staying positive really meant. Thinking positive wasn’t just about cheerfulness. It was about survival, resilience, and carving out dignity in the face of unpredictable storms.

The “Mind over MonSter” approach is not about pretending difficulties don’t exist. Instead, it’s about choosing how to face them. Some days that means humour, poking fun at the absurdities of MS until laughter drowns out despair. Other days it means stillness—breathing, writing, or simply sitting with the fog until it clears. And sometimes it means grit: deciding that, despite fatigue or pain, life is still worth leaning into.

With time, I’ve come to see positivity as less of a mood and more of a craft. It’s something practised, shaped, and renewed daily. The MonSter may steal strength, clarity, or comfort, but it cannot dictate perspective unless invited. That realisation is both liberating and empowering.

So, when we speak of staying positive, we are not trading in platitudes. We are describing a discipline, a lens through which hardship can be reframed. It is the art of mind over MonSter—and it begins with recognising that those simple childhood words, “think positive,” carry far more weight than I ever imagined.

The Science Behind Staying Positive

When people talk about staying positive, it can sound like a comforting phrase rather than a scientific truth. Yet research shows that positivity does far more than improve mood—it directly influences the chemistry and resilience of the body. For someone living with multiple sclerosis, that influence can be transformative.

Stress, cortisol, and the immune system

One of the most immediate effects of mindset is on stress. Chronic stress elevates cortisol, a hormone that prepares the body for “fight or flight.” While useful in short bursts, consistently high cortisol levels weaken immunity, increase inflammation, and exhaust the nervous system. Because MS involves an overactive immune response, stress can act as fuel for the fire.

Studies show that people who practise positivity—whether through gratitude, meditation, or laughter—experience lower baseline cortisol levels. This creates a calmer internal environment, reducing the likelihood of stress-triggered relapses. In other words, staying positive doesn’t just feel good; it shapes the chemical balance that underpins health.

Neuroplasticity: the rewiring brain

Another scientific foundation for positivity lies in neuroplasticity. The brain constantly rewires itself in response to repeated thoughts and behaviours. Negative thinking strengthens pathways associated with fear, fatigue, and hopelessness. Positive thinking builds circuits of resilience and calm. Over time, those patterns become the default.

This adaptability is particularly important in MS, where nerves are damaged and communication falters. The ability of the brain to “find new routes” is enhanced by mental training. A positive mindset works almost like physical therapy for the brain, encouraging adaptive rewiring that supports function and mood.

Mitochondria: the cell’s energy engines

Perhaps the most eye-opening discovery for me personally was learning about mitochondria—the microscopic powerhouses within our cells. They generate the energy needed for every action, from walking to thinking to simply keeping warm. In MS, mitochondrial dysfunction is increasingly recognised as a contributor to fatigue and nerve damage.

When mitochondria struggle, energy falters, and symptoms feel heavier. Here’s where mindset plays a surprising role. Positivity has been linked with healthier behaviours—better diet, more consistent movement, and restorative sleep—that directly support mitochondrial health. Research also suggests that reduced stress lowers oxidative damage, easing pressure on these fragile energy engines.

Understanding mitochondria reframed my own view of MS. It revealed that fatigue wasn’t laziness or weakness; it was biology. And just as importantly, it showed me that staying positive and motivated could indirectly support cellular health by shaping the lifestyle choices that nourish mitochondria.

Learning about mitochondria reframed my view of fatigue, and confirmed that staying positive could influence not just mood, but energy itself.

Whole-body benefits of positivity

Beyond MS-specific mechanisms, positivity supports general wellbeing:

• Cardiovascular health: Optimists have healthier blood pressure and heart rhythms.
• Sleep quality: A calm mindset reduces racing thoughts, leading to deeper rest.
• Pain perception: Positivity alters how the brain processes discomfort, making pain more manageable.
• Longevity: Multiple long-term studies suggest that positive thinkers live longer, healthier lives.

Reframing resilience

Positivity does not deny the existence of struggle. It reframes it. By changing how we interpret stress and fatigue, we change how our bodies respond to them. When the MonSter raises its head, a positive mindset can keep the nervous system calmer, the mitochondria better supported, and the brain more adaptable.

The science confirms what experience whispers: staying positive is not a luxury, but a strategy. It is as much biology as it is philosophy—an ally in the ongoing dance with MS.

Strategies for Staying Positive in Daily Life

Why is Staying Positive Important?

When life tilts under the weight of MS, staying positive in a negative situation isn’t about grinning through clenched teeth. It’s about refusing to let hardship steal your identity. The MonSter can bend the day, but it doesn’t get to dictate the story.

The following strategies are not miracle cures, but they are reliable tools. Think of them as handholds cut into the cliff-face — small grips that make climbing possible.

Mindfulness and breathing routines

Stress makes MS symptoms heavier, like sandbags tied to the ankles. Breathing exercises act as scissors that cut a few of those ties. Even ten minutes of slow, steady breathing lowers cortisol and calms the nervous system.

Vignette:
One evening, when pins and needles spread through my arm, I resisted the urge to panic. Instead, I closed my eyes and breathed slowly — four counts in, six counts out. By the third cycle, the sensations were still there, but my mind had softened its grip on them. The MonSter hadn’t gone, but I had grown bigger than its shadow.

Healthy distractions

Fatigue and pain can shrink the world to a single, uncomfortable point. Distractions — reading, painting, even baking — push back against that narrowing. They remind us that life is more than symptoms.

Vignette:
On a particularly foggy afternoon, I picked up an old guitar gathering dust. My fingers stumbled through familiar chords. The music wasn’t flawless, but it filled the room with something other than weariness. For an hour, I wasn’t a man with MS; I was a player of songs.

Community connections

Isolation can amplify suffering, while connection dilutes it. Whether it’s family, friends, or MS support groups, community provides witness and understanding. Sharing the absurdities of life with others makes them easier to bear.

Community makes staying positive easier, because encouragement multiplies when it’s shared

Explore deeper coping strategies in Managing Stress with MS.

Vignette:
At a group meeting, someone described their fatigue as “wearing a lead-lined duvet.” We laughed — not because it wasn’t true, but because the image captured our shared struggle. For that moment, none of us were alone; we were comrades under the same blanket.

Structured routines

Uncertainty is one of MS’s cruelest tricks. A structured day provides anchor points. Morning routines — a cup of tea, a short journal entry, stretching — offer predictability when the body feels unreliable.

See 7 Uplifting Habits to Boost Daily Happiness for ideas that can set each day on a steady footing.

Vignette:
On days when fatigue feels like quicksand, my morning ritual of writing down three small intentions — “make soup,” “phone a friend,” “sit in the garden” — acts as a rope ladder. I may not climb far, but I climb somewhere.

Humour as a weapon

Humour may be the most underrated medicine. Laughter breaks tension, reframes indignities, and restores a sense of control. Even missteps can be turned into comic sketches.

Sir Snortleplops’ misadventures (Sir Snortleplops Shoe Drop Foot) remind us that clumsiness can be a punchline, not a punishment.

Vignette:
Once, while fumbling with cutlery, I dropped a fork three times in a row. Instead of growling, I announced to my wife: “The fork clearly wants to be free. Who am I to deny it?” We laughed together, and the tension dissolved.

Reframing challenges

Cognitive reframing is the art of adjusting the angle of perception. Instead of “I can’t walk far,” the thought becomes, “I can enjoy short walks.” Instead of “I failed today,” it’s “I tried differently.”

Vignette:
When I could no longer drive, I mourned the freedom lost. Then I realised it meant more time as a passenger — watching scenery roll by instead of concentrating on traffic. I started noticing skies and fields I had missed for years. It was not the same freedom, but it was a different kind worth keeping.

External resources

Resilience doesn’t grow in a vacuum. Professional resources, articles, and external guides provide scaffolding. For example, AXA Health offers practical advice on reframing negative thought patterns, while personal stories show how others have survived and thrived.

Vignette:
Reading another’s account of using humour to survive pain reminded me that laughter is not frivolous — it’s a survival tactic passed down through generations of resilient souls.

Why strategies matter

Collectively, these tools embody staying positive and motivated. They do not erase the MonSter’s presence, but they give us ways to stand taller beside it. And each time we use them, positivity becomes less of an effort and more of a habit.

Quotes About Staying Positive and Moving Forward

Words can be companions in the hardest seasons. When fatigue blurs thought or pain frays patience, it can be difficult to summon optimism from within. That’s when the wisdom of others becomes invaluable. Inspirational quotes on staying positive remind us that we are part of a long human tradition of resilience. From poets to presidents, humourists to healers, people have faced adversity and found ways to distil hope into a few sharp lines. Reading these words is like borrowing courage — a reminder that even when we feel isolated, we are walking a path many have trodden before.

These lines remind us that staying positive is not a solitary effort, but a shared inheritance.:

Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.
Willie Nelson

Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you.
Walt Whitman

A positive attitude gives you power over your circumstances instead of your circumstances having power over you.
Joyce Meyer

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.
Helen Keller

It always seems impossible until it’s done.
Nelson Mandela

When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.
Victor Hugo

Life is too important to be taken seriously.
Oscar Wilde (a fine funny quote about staying positive)

Humour is mankind’s greatest blessing.
Mark Twain

Fall seven times and stand up eight.
Japanese proverb

While these words cannot shoulder the MonSter for us, they can light the way. A single sentence may not change the course of illness, but it can change the course of a day. For some, a witty remark is enough to spark a smile; for others, a solemn reflection renews inner resolve. That is the beauty of staying positive — it comes in many shapes, tailored to what the moment requires.

And perhaps that is the real power of quotes: they show us that positivity is not a solitary invention, but a shared inheritance. Whether through humour, faith, or determination, others have faced their own “MonSters” and left us a map of words. By drawing on their strength, we remind ourselves that staying positive in a negative situation is not just possible, but profoundly human.

Benefits of Staying Positive with MS

The benefits of staying positive with MS are not abstract; they are tangible and life-enhancing.

• Mental health stability
  Positivity cushions the mind against depression and anxiety. When setbacks are reframed as challenges, they lose some of their power to overwhelm.
• Stronger relationships
  Optimism strengthens bonds. Partners, families, and caregivers feel less burdened when positivity is shared. Support becomes a two-way street.
• Physical health
  Stress relief through positivity reduces inflammation. Many people notice fewer flare-ups when stress is actively managed.
• Problem-solving ability
  Optimists adapt more quickly. When one path closes, they find another. This resourcefulness is critical when illness disrupts routines.
• Persistence in advocacy
  Positivity fuels endurance in systems like healthcare and benefits. Securing Disability Benefits for MS can be exhausting. But optimism sustains the energy to persist through red tape.
• Enhanced quality of life
  Life remains rich, not hollow. Even when MS is heavy, optimism ensures joy is still part of the story.

As Scientific Origin explains, positivity is a skill—it strengthens with practice. Like exercise for the mind, each repetition builds resilience.

Conclusion

Staying positive is often portrayed as a sunny outlook, but in truth it is a hard-won discipline. It means facing the MonSter each day and deciding, again and again, that while it may limit the body, it does not own the mind. That is the essence of Mind over MonSter: recognising the reality of MS while still carving out space for joy, humour, and hope.

The journey is not about perfection. Some mornings, positivity feels natural; other days it requires conscious effort, almost like picking up a heavy tool. But each time we choose optimism, we strengthen the habit. Over weeks, months, and years, this becomes resilience — the ability to bend without breaking.

For me, staying positive in a negative situation has never been about ignoring pain or fatigue. It has been about noticing the moments that remain worth savouring: the laughter that slips in during difficulty, the comfort of routine, the simple dignity of refusing to give up. These are the quiet victories that add up to a life lived well.

And so, the challenge I set for myself — and perhaps for you — is not to erase hardship, but to meet it with courage. Because in the end, the MonSter cannot silence the one truth we can always claim: staying positive keeps hope alive.

And perhaps the simplest truth is this: every time we choose hope over despair, humour over bitterness, or kindness over criticism, we lighten the MonSter’s weight. One small daily act can make all the difference — to breathe, to smile, to carry on — and above all, to stop negative self-talk to reduce stress.