"One small positive thought can change your whole day." — Zig Ziglar
Do you ever feel like you are stuck in a “negativity rut?’’ Your thoughts travel to the worst case scenario almost immediately, your anger is quick to rise to the surface, your outlook on life’s day-to-day activities is at best apathetic, and the smallest problems seem catastrophic.
You do NOT have to stay in that place. You CAN break the cycle and walk through the valley to the other side. It will take time and practice. It will take a concentrated effort to re-train your brain, but you can do it!
A more positive you IS possible. Let’s look at how you can chip away at negative thought habits.
Identify negative thoughts and self-talk.
The key to this is awareness. You won’t be able to move forward in your efforts to achieve a more positive you without first identifying what needs to go.
Stop and think about how you respond to difficult situations. Grab a journal or notebook and write them down as they happen throughout the day. Record whatever thoughts cross your mind.
Practice positive thinking.
Now that you’ve taken inventory of how you generally react or respond to life’s annoyances, let’s look at how you can reverse that way of thinking.
Get out your journal or notebook. Pick out a few phrases you caught yourself muttering. Write them down on a new page and try rewriting them in a more positive way.
Start the day with gratitude and affirmations.
Starting the day off with a heart full of gratitude can really make a huge impact on your attitude as you move throughout the day. According to a study done by The University of California and Washington University, expressing gratitude increases joy. Joy, in turn, increases gratitude.
Utilize aromatherapy to release negative emotions.
Fragrances can have quite a powerful impact on your emotional state. As soon as you take a whiff, the airborne odor molecules travel up the nose to your olfactory receptors, which then relay messages to other parts of the brain. Your sense of smell is the only one of the five senses that is directly linked to the limbic lobe of the brain, the emotional control center.
Invite in positivity with friends and humor.
Take a few moments to reflect on the things you surround yourself with - friends, family, coworkers, music, tv, social media, podcasts, books, etc. Are they positive?
You know the saying, “Garbage in, garbage out?” It’s true. If you surround yourself with negative influences, your inner thoughts and attitude will most certainly be negative.
Do something good for your body and environment.
Becoming a more “positive you” requires a change of the mind AND the body; your daily habits need to shift. Consider implementing exercise as a way to bring more positivity into your life. Why?
When you exercise, your body releases endorphins. These chemicals help suppress the hormones that cause stress and anxiety. They trigger a positive feeling in the body.
While you’re at it, start spreading positivity by doing something good for others and the environment. Start recycling. Collect trash along roadsides. Volunteer at a shelter. Find ways to give back and you’ll be surprised at how uplifting it can be.
Turn failures into lessons.
You are not always going to get this “positivity thing” right. You will have “off” days, moments where you lose your cool, situations that put you in a funk. Don’t let them derail you!
Take what happens and LEARN from it. Figure out how to avoid those types of situations or how to handle them more effectively the next time you encounter them. Break the cycle. Stay the course. Become the change you want to see!
As you may have guessed, these tips are not conclusive. There are MANY ways you can become a more “positive you” but this is a good place to begin.
Want some help getting started? Use my 7 Days To A More Positive You challenge. It’s free and comes with a downloadable workbook. Click the button below.
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Note: There may be affiliate links in this post. • I am not a doctor. All information is for educational use only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional.
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