7 simple positive thinking techniques that help me

How to have a positive mindset

In a world full of hatred, judgments, and bullies, it is hard to have a positive outlook in life. Having negative thoughts is not something bad, but it sure makes a difference on how we perceive things. I am probably the most positive person you’ll ever meet, but sometimes I, too, give in to negative thoughts.

Positive thinking might be a cliché topic, but we cannot just deny the power it has over us. One positive thought can make our day a hundred times better, no?

Benefits of positive thinking

1. Thinking positively has physical and mental benefits for us. We are constantly shoved into trials and without a positive approach towards them, we will struggle to come through and might not even learn anything.
2. Until I did my research regarding stress and mental illness, I had no idea that they increase our risk for common cold, heart diseases and early death. Positive thinking reduces stress and mental burden, hence reducing risk for physical ailments and increases our life span.
3. Positive thinking enables us to view our lifestyle in a healthier way. We learn to stop letting negative thoughts take control of us and we make better decisions, let the right people in, and value self-care.
4. Another beautiful thing about positive thinking is that we let ourselves smile. We become more open to humor by being less irritated from it, and smile our way through any hardships.
5. Having a healthy mind makes us become healthier physically; we become active, accept invitations, indulge in healthy discussions, and look forward to another day full of possibilities!

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7 tips to help you think positively everyday

Here are some techniques to a more positive mindset towards life, and how you can achieve it. You can get access to ‘My Positivity Tracker’ and more printables to help you get started.

1. Don’t deny the good things, no matter how small

Need me to remind you of the good things? A good cup of coffee, a beautiful morning, a good night’s sleep, a kind man giving up his seat on the bus for an old lady, having good friends on social media, learning a new skill, recovery from a sickness-all of these things are what make the world a better place. Stop and notice your surroundings once in a while and you’ll see so much good.

2. Start your day with a sunny disposition

I know, sometimes this is hard. Sometimes you don’t even want to get up in the morning and face the day. We become used to waking up with a pessimistic view towards our day and the negative emotions associated with it get carried through everything we do.

Let’s try something new, maybe? Wake up each day, stretch, smile even if you don’t feel like it. Tell yourself that “you are amazing and you will in fact have a great day no matter what.” I promise you, your day will be comparatively better

3. Convert negative self-talk into Positive self-talk

We have a habit of judging ourselves quicker than we judge others. If we fail to perform a simple task, we get disappointed and often feed our anxieties and make it worse.

This becomes an endless cycle, and the negative self-talk is internalized and cemented into negative beliefs about ourselves. Here’s an example; you’re learning to paint, but you mess it up more than once, your automatic thought would be “I am not good at this, I should probably give it up.

Now, you can either give up or turn it into a positive thought by thinking, “I am new at this, it takes practice. I will eventually learn how to paint.” See? You already must be feeling a difference! Keep countering your negative thoughts with positive ones and you’ll always make it through without much distress.

4. Stay in the present

Trust me, the past has no power over you and neither does the future. What happened in the past will not repeat itself, and what happens in the future is in your control.

And I’m not only talking about the present in terms of present day, hour, or minute; take this exact moment! So, what if your friend said something mean to you? What is happening in this given moment that is so bad? Forget what they say 10 minutes from now. Focus on this given moment. Mostly, it isn’t as bad as you imagine it or are expecting it to be

5. Surround yourself with positive people

I cannot stress on this enough. Be with people who make you comfortable, foster growth, and make you into a better person. Cut off anyone who forces you to do something you don’t want to or is toxic in any way. Make friends who support you in every way and respect your space, who understand your likes, dislikes, and interests. Block anyone who messes with your peace without thinking twice.

6. Follow positive accounts on social media

There are so many people out there on social media giving out positive messages. I make sure my Instagram is filled with people who encourage self-love and post super nice things on their accounts. I follow photographers, artists, and mental health experts/enthusiasts and seeing their content makes me smile! 

Also, listen to this positive thinking ted talk and these positive mindset podcasts.

7. Overthinking is a kill-joy

Stop thinking about what you said to someone because you were nervous; I promise you they didn’t even notice and don’t care to remember. I used to have severe social anxiety, and social anxiety stems from overthinking. I used to be really cautious in public; I used to feel like everyone is noticing how I look, how I walk or sit etc.

 I realized that people have so much going on in their own lives, they have so much to think about other than me. And even if they notice anything funny, they will forget it after a short while as the human brain processes new information in seconds. What is so significant about me for them to remember anyway? 

Stop thinking about what you could’ve done to make a situation better by saying or doing something you can’t anymore; it’s pointless to think about what could’ve been. Stop thinking about how someone hurt you and how they need to apologize; if they cared about you more than their ego, they would’ve. Overthinking will not let you live fully and you deserve to live fully.

Final thoughts on becoming positive

Positive thinking takes time. Our minds are already prone to think negatively and have built unfriendly roots that cultivate them. It will take some time to cut those roots and plant new concepts that nurture our very delicate brains.

However, the good news is, the results always make us feel better. Just a single notion of positivity makes us believe that we are strong and brave, and I want you to hold on to that feeling in everything that you do. Remember, you are loved.

Don’t forget to get your positivity tracker in our resource library to start positive habits and track them.

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