You want to be positive; I want you to be positive, the world NEEDS you to be positive! It is not as simple as just “Try to look for the goods in each situation”, BUT it IS possible. With conscious efforts on your thoughts, words, and actions you CAN change your mindset.
Here are 9 practical steps to think positive thoughts.
- Look at situations from different angles
Solely having a one-dimensional perspective of the world around us can give us a false sense of priorities and self-pride. Looking at situations from different perspectives allows us to see the whole picture, enables us to understand others’ points of view, and be more compassionate. This shift in lens helps us gain deeper insights and deeper happiness.
- Be grateful
By practicing gratitude and reminding ourselves of things to be thankful for we are continuously reflecting upon the blessings in our life, so even when we are dealing with tough situations and bad days, we are reminded of the great things.
- Find solutions rather than whine about the problems
Remember that we are in control of the choices we make, even in the worst of situations: we can be stressed out and constantly worrying, or we can assess the situation and determine a plan of action.
- Choose positive words over negative words
The power of words is that they have the power to heal, to hurt, to help, to hinder, to harm, or to humble. The change and emotion we want to manifest lies in the words we choose to use. So, putting in the effort of switching out more positive words for negative ones can surely uplift our mood and help us create more positive perceptions.
- Notice the positive characteristics in others
Due to the brain’s “negativity bias” we are more likely to notice the bad attributes of others, so the parts that annoy, worry, and hurt us. But finding and complimenting the positives of other people indeed helps others feel happier, but also helps us be happier, confident, and re-wires our mind to constantly look for the positives.
- Write down negative thoughts
A huge part of instilling a positive mindset involves facing the negative thoughts and not just ignoring them with a smile on our face. Writing down our negative thoughts is a tangible way of answering our negative thoughts and getting rid of them through a practical and cathartic approach.
- Be kind
We often get so absorbed in the miseries and mistreatments of our own lives that we forget to take the time to look around us. It’s important that we spend a little time brightening someone’s day, beginning the ripple of kindness and positivity in the world that we sometimes are unable to see and feel. Be the one to begin that change. Even a small act of kinds can create a chain of positivity, for us and the receiver.
- Savor the moments and feel life.
Feel the air go into your lungs as you breathe, feel your muscles engage as you use them, feel the ground as you step, hear the birds sing, feel the rain drops fall on your face, and watch the people laugh around you. When we are so aware and present with the world around us, we are noticing and appreciating the beauty around us and feel happier.
- Reflect on your good and bad days
By reflecting on our days we are able to once again appreciate all the things that went well, and allows us to check in with ourselves and monitor how positive and optimistic we were when the hurdles came up.
