We all want a happy life, and we all know that having a positive attitude feels better than a negative one. But for some reason, we are all attracted to and can be easily drawn to the negative side. How do we go about to establish a more positive attitude as a daily habit? It is important to look at positivity as understanding thoughts or feelings as optimistic, energetic and productive. This is important whilst we look in general at positivity and the idea of polarity, black and white! Hot and cold!
Our emotions literally change our bodies on a cellular level. Many of our experiences in life are a result of how we interpret and respond to our surroundings. Fortunately, rather than repressing or trying to “get rid” of negative feelings, we can choose to interpret and respond to them differently. You’ll find that with some practice, patience, and perseverance, you can become more positive.
First of all, you need to identify the problem. You can’t change the way you think if you can’t (or won’t) identify the problem. Accepting that you have negative thoughts and feelings, and that you don’t enjoy how you are currently responding to them, can help you begin the process of change. Try not to judge yourself for your thoughts or feelings. Remember: the thoughts that pop up or the feelings you experience are not inherently “good” or “bad,” they are just thoughts and feelings. What you can control is how you interpret and respond to them.
Accept the things about yourself that you can’t change, too. For example, if you are an introverted person who needs quiet time alone to “recharge,” trying to be an extrovert all the time will probably just make you feel drained and unhappy. Accept yourself for who you are right now, just as you are. You can then feel free to develop that self into the most positive self you can be!
Keep things simple, get back to the basics that you already know work well for you but have for some reason fallen by the wayside. Stop trying to come up with the perfect plan before you get started. Instead, come up with a good plan and then take action on it. You can always readjust along the way towards your goal. And it’s a whole better with a good plan that you actually take action on than a perfect one that you just keep polishing for weeks, months or years. Focus on what matters the most – the tasks and steps forward, Like the first plan in your day and if possible first thing in your week (when you are likely most rested and clearheaded). Do just one thing at a time to do the best and most focused job you can. No matter if it’s at work, in school or in your personal life. Trying to do several things at once usually just leads to mediocre results or half-finished jobs.
Be grateful, gratitude is more than a feeling, it’s a doing. It changes your perspective almost immediately, and the rewards keep growing the more you practice. Gratitude helps you feel more positive, enhances your relationships with others, encourages compassion, and increases feelings of happiness. Some people are naturally higher in “trait gratitude,” the natural state of feeling thankful. However, you can foster an “attitude of gratitude” no matter what level of “trait gratitude” you naturally have! In relationships and situations, avoid approaching them like you “deserve” something from them. This doesn’t mean that you believe you deserve nothing, and it doesn’t mean you put up with mistreatment or disrespect. It just means that you should try to approach things without feeling like you’re “entitled” to a certain result, action, or benefit. Sharing your feelings of gratitude with others helps you “set” those feelings in your memory. It can also inspire positive feelings in the people you share with.
Make an effort to recognize all the little positive things that happen throughout the day. Keep good memories, humans have a bad tendency to focus on the negative stuff and let the positive things slide right past us. When you note the positive things in your life, take a moment to mindfully acknowledge them. Try to “store them” in your memory. Be optimistic, Optimism is a way of interpreting the world. Thanks to the human brain’s flexibility, you can learn different ways of interpreting! Pessimistic outlooks view the world in unchangeable, internalized terms: “Everything is unfair,” “I’ll never be able to change this” while an optimistic outlook views the world in flexible, limited terms.
On a final note, positive affirmations and visualizations is key. Practice seeing yourself in a positive and confident light. Do this whenever you have a few minutes to yourself; Self-affirmations, list of positive statements about yourself and your self-image. This is a simple and powerful tool to train your subconscious to see yourself in a positive light. This is important, as many of us can be so hard on ourselves through social conditioning. I am guilty of being extra tough on myself, but have learned over time to recognize my gifts rather than finding false and self-imposed inadequacies.
By Umaru Maryam Hadejia
