10 Tips for Positive Living
Your attitude on life can affect your physical and mental health as well as your emotions. It can also affect your blood pressure, cholesterol, and stress levels -- both positively and negatively. With a positive outlook on life, challenges seem easy, you feel healthy as a horse, and life is good. If you feel negative about everything, then things usually become more difficult. You can get sick easily, find it difficult to face adversities and hardships in life.
Focusing on the negative makes it harder for you to enjoy the little things in life. Whether it’s by looking only at the negative side of things, or by blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong, you wind up making things seem even worse than they actually are. If you indulge in the stinkin' thinkin' of negativity, you’re setting yourself up for failure even before you start.
Anyone can choose a positive outlook for their lives. The power of positive thinking may seem old=fashioned or even a little bit cliché, but it really does boost your self-esteem, overall mood, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
Here are 10 ways to approach life with a more positive viewpoint:
1. Life's experiences are not failures.
Acknowledging that no one is perfect puts things into perspective. No one does anything perfectly on the first try. You’re going to make mistakes, so instead of focusing on it as a failure, break down what went wrong and learn how it might work better next time. Remember, you haven't failed until you fail to try again.
2. Hang out with positive friends.
Surround yourself with people who are happy and focused on success. Being with upbeat friends helps you maintain a positive outlook. Positivity, like negativity, is contagious. So, choose your friends wisely.
3. Be thankful.
Each night before going to bed, write down 3 things you’re grateful for. It may be as small as a great cup of coffee or something bigger as getting your work done on time at work. Make it a habit and you’ll soon realize it’s become part of your daily routine. Share gratitude and appreciation with others in your life.
4. Put some humor in your day.
Watch stand-up comedy routines or funny movies opens you up to laughter which signals the brain to release ‘feel good’ hormones. This reduces stress levels and allows you to see the silver lining, even in the most difficult of situations. Share funny jokes with your friends.
5. Decide what you’d like to change.
This could be hard to do at first and may require several attempts, but it gets results and you’ll feel empowered. Maybe your job is ill-fitting and fills your life with negativity. You may want to do something else, but fear is holding you back. Maybe it’s your car, your apartment, the color of your walls - many things can be affecting the level of negativity in your life and once you put your finger on it, you can consciously change it for the better.
6. Start your day with positive affirmations.
Affirm the positive thinks you want in your life and the positive things you expect to happen today. Begin your day on a high note by recognizing the good things that can happen throughout your day. Pessimists tend to start their day worrying and thinking about all that can go wrong. This makes you see everything in a negative light and causes a series of unfortunate events like a domino effect.
7. Stop the flow of negative thoughts.
You might need lots of practice at first, but be patient and make the effort. Observe your thought patterns. You can do this by jotting down notes every time you focus on the negative. Each time you feel negative self-talk creeping up by being overly critical or judgmental, or focusing only on your failures, write down a positive affirmation to counter each negative thought.
8. Find something you love to do.
Hobbies are something we don’t hear of too much these days since we’re all so busy. But taking the time to engage in something you’re good at and actually enjoy fills you with a sense of joy and fulfillment.
9. Live a healthy lifestyle.
Eat right, exercise regularly and you’ll see a definite boost in your mood. Plus, you’ll feel more confident and this helps you see things in a brighter, more positive light. Junk food generates junk thoughts.
10. Practice makes perfect.
Reinforcing positive living requires practice. The more you do it, the better you’ll be at it. Then, one day when you’re in the midst of a crisis, you’ll find that the first thing that comes to your mind is not what can go wrong, but how can I use my strengths to overcome this adversity.
Bonus tip: Smile!
Consciously smile whe you are around other people. Smile at yourself whenever you see your reflection in a mirror. Smiling boosts your self image and if makes you feel good, too.
No one said life was easy and sometimes we get overwhelmed with what life throws our way. But it’s up to us to decide how we’ll come out the other end. You can decide whether you’ll have a positive perspective and make sweet, delicious lemonade, or you’ll be negative and be left with a batch of sour lemons.