How to Maintain a Positive Attitude
Feed positivity into your brain., Tap into the power of positive thinking., Use the positive reframing technique., Write in a gratitude journal., Redirect or limit your negative thoughts.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Feed positivity into your brain.
These days, it feels like a lot of negativity is coming at us which causes our thought process to be negative.
If TV, social media, or news leaves you thinking “the world is awful” or “there is so much evil out there,” stop watching or listening.
Change or counteract what you are letting in from negative to positive and it will be easier to maintain your positive attitude.Listen to music with uplifting lyrics and beats.
Read and seek out positive content through books.
Follow organizations and websites that promote positivity such as Upworthy or Little Things. -
Step 2: Tap into the power of positive thinking.
Getting into the habit of thinking positively can change the way you process new thoughts, feelings, and events.
Your brain is like a muscle, so like any other muscle you have to exercise even when you may not feel like it.In addition to helping you maintain a positive attitude, positive thinking can provide other great benefits.Lower levels of distress and rates of depression Increased lifespan Help with better coping skills during hardships Improved immune system , It may be difficult in situations or during times of situational stress to stay positive.
To help, there is a cognitive technique that can assist you in changing the way you react to those stressors.
Positive reframing asks that you notice negative events or harmful thoughts and make a conscious choice to change them or change the way you see them.
This technique does not change what is happening, but it can change how you feel resulting in a more consistent ability to stay positive.Change the way your mind questions your experience.
Alter “Why is this happening to me?” into “How can I learn from this and use it to grow?” Challenge any assumptions you may be having about yourself or the situation you are in.
Change the language you use when speaking.
Change “He hates me and is just trying to drive me crazy” to “Yes, he was not nice, but maybe he is having a really difficult day today.”, Remaining positive begins with being able to see the positive everyday.
Think of and concentrate on the things you are thankful for by writing down 3 new things you are grateful for that day.
Being actively grateful can change your thinking to be more positively oriented and help you focus on what you have rather than thinking about what you don't have.Make sure you relish small pleasures as well as big ones.If you are still struggling, you can purchase gratitude journals online, or utilize gratitude journal applications on your smartphone with prompts to help you.
Work on your gratitude journal at night, so you can end with a positive attitude about every day. , You are not going to be able to stop yourself from having negative thoughts.You will be able to train yourself to think more positively, but negative thoughts will still occur.
When they do, you can redirect or limit them.
Agree on a short time limit (5 minutes) to engage the negative thinking.
Acknowledge it, give it time and space, and then say enough, and move on with positive thinking and reframing.
Get involved in a positive activity until the negative thoughts subside, like helping someone, calling a friend, or exercising.
Sing your favorite songs so that the lyrics are what you are focusing on instead of your negative thoughts. -
Step 3: Use the positive reframing technique.
-
Step 4: Write in a gratitude journal.
-
Step 5: Redirect or limit your negative thoughts.
Detailed Guide
These days, it feels like a lot of negativity is coming at us which causes our thought process to be negative.
If TV, social media, or news leaves you thinking “the world is awful” or “there is so much evil out there,” stop watching or listening.
Change or counteract what you are letting in from negative to positive and it will be easier to maintain your positive attitude.Listen to music with uplifting lyrics and beats.
Read and seek out positive content through books.
Follow organizations and websites that promote positivity such as Upworthy or Little Things.
Getting into the habit of thinking positively can change the way you process new thoughts, feelings, and events.
Your brain is like a muscle, so like any other muscle you have to exercise even when you may not feel like it.In addition to helping you maintain a positive attitude, positive thinking can provide other great benefits.Lower levels of distress and rates of depression Increased lifespan Help with better coping skills during hardships Improved immune system , It may be difficult in situations or during times of situational stress to stay positive.
To help, there is a cognitive technique that can assist you in changing the way you react to those stressors.
Positive reframing asks that you notice negative events or harmful thoughts and make a conscious choice to change them or change the way you see them.
This technique does not change what is happening, but it can change how you feel resulting in a more consistent ability to stay positive.Change the way your mind questions your experience.
Alter “Why is this happening to me?” into “How can I learn from this and use it to grow?” Challenge any assumptions you may be having about yourself or the situation you are in.
Change the language you use when speaking.
Change “He hates me and is just trying to drive me crazy” to “Yes, he was not nice, but maybe he is having a really difficult day today.”, Remaining positive begins with being able to see the positive everyday.
Think of and concentrate on the things you are thankful for by writing down 3 new things you are grateful for that day.
Being actively grateful can change your thinking to be more positively oriented and help you focus on what you have rather than thinking about what you don't have.Make sure you relish small pleasures as well as big ones.If you are still struggling, you can purchase gratitude journals online, or utilize gratitude journal applications on your smartphone with prompts to help you.
Work on your gratitude journal at night, so you can end with a positive attitude about every day. , You are not going to be able to stop yourself from having negative thoughts.You will be able to train yourself to think more positively, but negative thoughts will still occur.
When they do, you can redirect or limit them.
Agree on a short time limit (5 minutes) to engage the negative thinking.
Acknowledge it, give it time and space, and then say enough, and move on with positive thinking and reframing.
Get involved in a positive activity until the negative thoughts subside, like helping someone, calling a friend, or exercising.
Sing your favorite songs so that the lyrics are what you are focusing on instead of your negative thoughts.
About the Author
Richard Wright
Committed to making cooking accessible and understandable for everyone.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: