Having a positive mindset can have a dramatic impact on your life, and it only takes a few small changes to see big results.
Instead of letting negative thoughts like fears, doubt or anger get in the way, you can replace them with calm, confidence, courage, and happiness!
There are many different ways that you can change your outlook today, these 10 tips will help you get started.
1. Set Small Achievable Goals
One of the reasons people tend to think negatively about themselves is because they focus on their failures.
It’s easy for people to focus on their mistakes and faults as a way of justifying why they’re not good enough. One way of preventing yourself from falling into this trap is by focusing on your successes instead
Identify your goals and break them down so each step becomes achievable.
For example, if your goal was to be more positive and not let all those difficult situations get you down; one solution would be finding 1 success out of every situation: identify something nice or important about whatever bad happens during your day!
2. Be Aware of Negative Thoughts
Negative thoughts can creep in when we’re not aware of them.
It is important to note when these negative thoughts arise because they are often the result of some kind of trigger or routine that we have built up into our lives as habits.
If you’re constantly criticizing your body every morning before getting dressed for work, it would be beneficial to replace those destructive words with something positive by telling yourself one thing about your appearance that you like instead.
Once you’re aware of the negative thoughts and triggers, you can replace them with positive thoughts
3. Create Affirmations
Affirmations are positive statements that can act as a coping mechanism for your negative self-talk.
They’re written or spoken in the first person and they should be present tense, such as “I am enough.” You could write them down on an index card to carry with you so you have access when you need them the most or say them aloud every morning before getting out of bed.
Affirmations work by shifting your thoughts from negativity towards positivity.
Find what works for you then get started!
4. Visualize Your Success
When you’re facing a task or situation where your thoughts are running wild, try picturing yourself doing the task with ease.
Picture what a positive outcome would look like for this situation.
Close your eyes and envision what success might feel like: how good it will make you feel to have tackled this challenge head-on without any regrets insight.
Once these feelings flood through you, those doubts will cease to exist at all because of your confidence-boosting visualizations!
5. Focus on Your Happiness
Happiness is the ultimate goal in life, and it’s important to make time for happiness in your day.
Even if you don’t love your job or you’re having a difficult time, spend some time each day doing something that makes you happy
It’s easy to overlook these moments because we often forget about what makes us happy when our days are busy and full of stress.
Read a book. Take a walk through nature either near home or somewhere new; maybe try taking different routes this week.
Call a friend on the telephone. Knit, paint, dance, or go take a boxing class. There are so many opportunities to add a few minutes of fun to your day.
6. Surround Yourself with Positive People
The people you surround yourself with can have a significant influence on how you feel.
Negative thoughts and emotions are contagious, don’t let them infect your life!
If you’re surrounded by people who tend to be negative, those emotions can rub off on you. Keep in mind that negative thoughts can be complaints, fears, anger, doubt, worry, frustration, overwhelm, and other emotions that don’t support a confident and happy feeling.
Take a moment to examine the company you spend your free time with. Do they make it better or worse?
Look at the people you interact with. Try to engage more with those who are positive and supportive and disconnect as much as possible with the negative people.
7. Practice Gratitude
Gratitude is a powerful force that can help you feel abundance rather than lack.
Gratitude shifts your focus from what you don’t have to what you do have.
If you are struggling to find gratitude in your life read THIS post for some helpful guidance.
A gratitude journal is a great way to incorporate a daily gratitude practice into your life. If you feel like you have nothing to write don’t worry, take this 30-day gratitude journal prompts challenge, and get started today!
8. Take Care of Yourself
Self-care is an essential part of life.
It can be difficult to stay positive when you’re exhausted, don’t feel well, and put everyone else first but it’s important for your health that you strive to make sure yourself come before others at least some of the time.
So take care with what food makes up your diet. Eat well. Exercise and move your body.
Get enough sleep and embrace stress reduction techniques like meditation and deep breathing. Pay attention to your health, emotions, and mental wellness.
9. Give Back
You can make a difference in the world around you by volunteering and giving back.
Giving back to others helps you look at the world differently. Not only does it make you feel grateful for what you have in your life, giving back has been shown to make people feel more connected.
Studies have been done on the happiness of those who give back and they consistently rank higher than those who do not.
If you want to feel better about yourself and the world around you, get involved in making it a better place. Volunteer at a homeless shelter, hospital, or humane society.
Clean up the environment, build homes for habitat for humanity, or knit hats for premature babies. There are thousands of ways to give back to others.
10. Recognize Accomplishments and Successes
You can make a list of your accomplishments, successes, and positive attributes so that you have something to look back on when you are feeling down.
Are you kind? Do you have a great smile? Are you good at math or are you an excellent communicator?
Create a brag sheet and write down everything that is wonderful about you. Add to this list when new skills, attributes, and successes arise.
Then, when you’re feeling down or having a difficult day, you can pull out this list of amazing and focus on the positive. That way, it’s always nearby in case you need it.
This will increase the likelihood that these thoughts come into mind rather than negative ones. You can always add new skills or positives as they arise too!
Finally, you can fake it until you make it!
If you just can’t feel positive right now, pretend.
Fake it. Fake a positive attitude.
Smile at yourself in the mirror, smile at others, and start the process inside your mind and body.
You can then embrace any of these top ten ways to think more positively.
Take a chance; it’ll change your life.
