The science behind positive thinking your way to success

Sometimes counting to ten or daydreaming of a desert island just won't purge the everyday monotony of office life and it's common to become trapped in a spiral of negativity.

But regular coffee breaks, yoga and even praying to a loving god could change all that.

According to psychology expert Richard Boyatzis, these simple exercises can engage the parasympathetic nervous system -- the function responsible for relaxation and slowing the heart rate -- resulting in renewed optimism and improvements in working relationships, CNN says.

Boyatzis, psychology and cognitive science professor at Case Western Reserve University, said there is strong neurological evidence supporting the theory that engaging our parasympathetic systems -- through regular physical or leisure activities -- stokes compassion and creativity.

"Strain causes a person to be cognitively, perceptually and emotionally impaired," he said, "if you're under pressure and stress at work, then you can't think outside the box because you can't see the box."

Boyatzis maintains that chronic stress levels hinder professionals and those in leadership positions from performing to their best. He argues that while we need stress to function and adapt, too much can cause the body to defend itself by closing down.

"You have to engage your parasympathetic nervous system so that you change your hormonal flow," Boyatzis told CNN, adding that mood and positivity can be "infectious" in the workplace, particularly in positions of leadership.

He added: "If you're having a horrible marriage, or your teenage kids are dissing you right and left, you get to work and it's very likely that you are just a bummer."

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