Are you a positive thinker and action taker? Maybe you want to be, but instead, you often fall prey to the negatives you see and hear around you. It’s your life. It’s time to throw off any negativity you feel and replace it with a positive outlook that makes your life feel less reactive and more under your control.  

How you view life affects your physical and mental health as well as your emotions. It also raises or lowers your blood pressure, cholesterol, and stress levels. Feeling negative about things makes your life harder. You may get sick easily and find it difficult to face the adversities and hardships in your life.

Thinking negatively makes it more difficult for you to enjoy the little things in life. Whether it’s by focusing only on the negative, or by blaming everything that goes wrong on yourself, making things seem even worse than they are, or seeing things in only black and white. If you do one or some of the above, then you’re setting yourself up to fail even before you begin.

But anyone can instill positivity into their lives if they so choose. The power of positive thinking might seem the typical cliché, but it truly does work wonders for your self-esteem, overall mood and thereby reduces the risk of chronic diseases.

Here are 10 ways to assist you to cultivate a more positive life.

1. Learning experiences not failures

Acknowledging that no one is perfect puts things into perspective. You’re going to make mistakes, we all do, but instead of focusing on your failure, break down what went wrong so you can learn from it, and use it to your advantage.

2. Positive friendships

Surrounding yourself with people who are grounded, upbeat, and positive themselves, helps you to maintain a positive outlook. Positivity, as is negativity, is contagious. So, choose your friends wisely.

3. Know what you are grateful for

Every night before going to bed, write down 3 things you’re grateful for. It may be as small as a pleasant walk or something bigger such as getting your project done on time at work. It’s a fact, that the more you declare your gratitude, the more you have, to be grateful for. Making gratitude a habit, is one of the most beneficial additions to your daily routine.

4. Laughter is still the best medicine

Watching 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.

5. Appraise what you need 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 affect the level of negativity in your life, but once you put your finger on it, you can consciously change it for the better.

6. Start your morning with positive affirmations

Begin your day on a high note by affirming that this is a great day and you are confident that good things will happen throughout your day. Pessimists tend to start their day worrying and thinking about all that can go wrong. This makes them see everything in a negative light and causes a series of unfortunate events like a domino effect.

7. Cease the stream of negative thinking

It might need lots of practice at first but be patient and make the effort. Observe your thought patterns. You can do this by taking down notes each time you focus on the negative. Every time you feel negative self-talk creeping in by being overly critical or judgmental, or focusing only on your failures, write down a positive affirmation to counter each negative thought.

8. Discover a new hobby

Hobbies are something we don’t hear of so much these days since we’re all so busy. But taking the time to engage in something you’re good at and enjoy, fills you with a sense of joy and fulfillment.

9. Lead a beneficial lifestyle

Eat right, exercise regularly, and sleep more to 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.

10. Practice until it’s natural

Reinforcing positive living requires practice. Like anything the more you do it, the better you’ll become at it. Then, one day when you’re facing 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 challenge.

No one ever said life was easy and sometimes we become overwhelmed with what life throws our way. But the choice belongs to us as individuals whether we are to meet life with a smile in a positive way or a complaining negative manner.

I hope you found this post beneficial and will share it with your family and friends.