With positive thoughts we experience pleasant and happy feelings. Unfortunately, in the midst of winter, it is easy to lose sight of our positive thoughts where the days are short, the temperature low and grey clouds surround us. However, it is important to make the effort to maintain a positive outlook on work, family and life in general.
Positive thoughts can not only bring us positive feelings, but they also change the way we appear, act and react. Take a moment to look at the people around you right now. Are you able to identify those who are thinking happy, positive thoughts? It’s not just the people who are smiling.
People who have a positive mind set have a certain brightness in their eyes. They often walk tall and have elevated energy levels. For some, their whole being broadcasts happiness, health and success. Is it any wonder that we prefer to be around positive people, and avoid the negative ones?
So what can you do to think more positively? Well, it’s not just about putting your head in the sand and ignoring life’s less pleasant situations. Positive thinking is about approaching unpleasant situations with a more positive, productive attitude. It involves focusing on the best outcomes, not the worst.
One reason people struggle to live a positive happy life is due to their minds playing a constant record of negative self-talk. When self-talk, that constant chatter in your mind, is always negative, it can bring down your whole perspective on life and dictates how you relate to yourself and those around you.
A few tips to help elevate your thoughts and reduce negative feelings are to:
Recognise negative self-talk – a good place to start is to keep an eye on the things you tell yourself. If you tend to dwell on the negatives or do not feel good about yourself, this is a good indicator that your thoughts need improving.
Pause for a moment – when you notice yourself having negative self-thoughts, stop for a moment and think about the scenario. By putting it into perspective we can prevent ourselves from thinking negatively. For example, if you trip and fall, before you berate yourself for being such a ‘clumsy idiot’, stop and think, are you really that clumsy? Or was the ground wet or uneven, were you distracted?
Challenge negative thoughts – you can test and challenge your self-talk. Pull yourself up on negative self-talk and ask yourself, “is that really true?”. If you missed that business opportunity, are there any lessons for the future you can take from the situation?
Accept yourself – having self-confidence is fundamental to ensuring you are on track to having positive thoughts. The degree to which you value yourself and the belief you have in your skills and abilities impacts the way you think about yourself. Nobody’s perfect, so accept your faults and move on.
Get positive – train your mind to conduct positive self-talk. Make an effort to use positive words in your inner dialogues and when talking with others. To reinforce your positive thinking, write three words on a piece of paper and put this in your pocket: “Approachable, Happy, Smart”. Read the note a few times a day and this is what you will project.
No one is immune to negative self-talk, but by making a conscious effort to change the way you think and practice your self-talk, you can work towards removing self-criticism from your life.
One small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day. Good thoughts. Good feelings. Good life.
