Sometimes it can be challenging to stay positive and happy; negative circumstances, people or experiences can make life hard, but thinking positively can lead to positive changes in your life.
Having an optimistic view can not only be good for your physical health, but your mental well-being too. So here are seven tips to make positive thinking more like your second nature!
Start your day in a positive way!
The way you start your morning can set the tone for the rest of your day, just like the way you spend your Sunday can set your week up! As an example, a stress-less morning will lead most of the time to a less stressful day.
So how can you set an optimistic tone for your day?
- Don’t Rush: Rushing causes mistakes, forgotten keys and an erratic mood. Instead, wake up 10 minutes earlier than normal, this will help you to start the day in a calm, organised and more relaxed manner
2. Eat Breakfast: this will not only help with your metabolism, but give you energy,helping you to focus until lunch at least!
3. Prepare Your Mornings: set out your outfit, accessories, shoes, and pack your bag including your lunch,the night before – You’ll sleep soundly knowing you have less to think about when you wake up, saving you time and mental energy.
Live in a Positive Environment – Say “Bye Bye” to Negativity
Surround yourself with positive people! Their aura, language, stories, thoughts and actions will naturally uplift you, if not rub off on you! Invest your time wisely as the opposite is true also; if your friends, family members, co-workers, the people you spend the majority of your time with, have negative mindsets, how will your thought processes become???
TIP: It’s not just the 3D people in your life, social media has a massive impact upon our happiness! Here’s a little activity for you: take 10 minutes and scroll through the profiles/accounts that you follow online, whether that’s Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. If any of them cause you to feel anything but inspired, motivated, happy, blessed or excited, get rid of them.
Accept Who You Are
A lot of people struggle every day with self-esteem and self-worth, no thanks to photoshop, celebrities and dating apps such as Tinder! We are forever influenced by the images and commentaries around us how we are supposed to look and behave.
But it’s important to remember that what we see online is not the full, true picture; it is merely a snapshot of their best bits, filtered to be even better. Stop comparing yourself to others, and know that you are you and that is pretty awesome. Strive for improvements, develop personally, but celebrate you too.
Failures are Lessons
No one is perfect, we all make mistakes and experience failure in life. So don´t fear what might go wrong, see it as part of your journey, because the errors you make enable you to learn, grow and strengthen your character
Instead of focusing on how you failed, think about what you can do better next time—Turn your failure into a lesson.
Learn to Let Go
Regret is an awful feeling, associated with guilt, disappointment or simply FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). But is there any point in dwelling on things you can´t change? Absolutely not. Living in the past does nothing for your future.
Think about how much time and energy you waist thinking ´´if only´´, ´what if?´´ or wishing people were different.
It happened, analyse what went wrong, vow to yourself to never do it again, and move on.
Set Goals
Positive thinking is quite often a state of excitement or motivation, but if you don’t have goals to be excited or motivated about, well, you’re a little stuck.
By thinking forward, and imagining the awesome life that awaits you, you will have positive outcomes to focus on, be motivated by and get excited about!
ACTIVITY: Make a list of all the things you want to achieve; career milestones, travels, experiences, personal assets, skills, whatever it is your heart desires. There’s no limit here either, if you want to achieve 1000 things, that’s your prerogative. What harm can come from over-achieving? You’d better get a move on though!
Smile
Did you know that smiling, even when you don’t feel like it, can instantly put you in a better mood? As well as lifting the moods of the people around you?
So try smiling, whether you’re sitting at your desk, driving in your car, walking or queuing in Sainsbury’s. You will be amazed how your mind, and others, react! Learning how to think positively is something that takes time to master; your brain is a muscle too! But finding new habits and ways to integrate a more positive outlook into your life is a great start toward positive living.