5 Easy Ways to Achieve a Positive Outlook
One of the most powerful things you can do to set yourself up for success is practice the art of positive thinking. It's easy to let the struggles of everyday life control your attitude. But by practicing simple methods of changing your attitude, you can rewire your brain into noticing the good things in life. Focusing on the positive things in life not only makes you a lot happier, but it motivates you to learn and grow as a person. Below are five tips on how to achieve a more positive outlook on life.
Visualize your day
A big part of having a positive outlook is visualizing yourself having a great day. In the morning, take a few moments to visualize how today is going to be great.
Think about all that you’re going to achieve today. Visualize the good you are going to bring to the world today. See in your mind's eye the positivity and happy vibes you are going to send out into the universe. Give yourself. Does picturing your day going perfectly mean it’s going to happen? No. But, having that mindset will change the way you look at your day.
Express gratitude
Every day, no matter what time, note things that you are grateful for. Whether you're reflecting on your day as you lay down to sleep or updating a list on a Google doc at lunch, keep a tally of what you're truly grateful for.
The things you show gratitude for don't have to be huge, monumental things. You could be grateful that the weather is nice outside, or that you saw something funny on the Internet. It doesn't really matter what you feel grateful for, just so long as you acknowledge it. If you keep a mental list of at least 5 things your thankful for every day for the next 30 days, your mindset will start to shift to a more positive outlook.
Practice self-care
To be your most positive and happy self, you must take care of yourself both mentally and physically. An hour before you go to sleep, put your phone on silent and get in the habit of winding down for the night. When you step away from the glow of your phone screen, you are setting yourself up for a good night's sleep. In the morning, take a few minutes to simply stare out your window and take in the dawn. It's in the quiet mornings where you can find peace and clarity.
Eating healthy foods and exercising on a regular basis also fuels us to the be the best versions of ourselves. When you take care of your body, you sharpen the mind and gain more energy to carry you through the day.
Recognize the dark thoughts
We're all guilty of having dark thoughts every once and a while. You think nothing could go right today. You think you are wasting your time. You think you're a failure. Yes, we've all had those negative interrupters in our day. The problem is that these negative thoughts can lead you down a thought spiral that never ends. Before you know it, you've had the worst day in the world.
The second one of those pesky downer thoughts enter your mind, take a deep breath and recognize that this is an interrupter and should not be paid attention to. You are human and you make mistakes – there’s no getting around that. But, what you can control is how you let these mistakes define your day. You can either wallow in self-pity and live your day with a rain cloud over your head, or you can acknowledge that you made a mistake and then let it go - focusing instead on fixing your mistake and moving forward.
Accept what you can't control
Too often, we try to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. We let the stress of everyday life get in our heads and mess with our psyche. Sometimes there are going to be things that we can’t control. Whether you're stuck in traffic or caught in the pouring rain, know that there’s nothing you can do. If you missed a deadline or forgot to do something, accept that you don’t have a time machine to go back in time to prevent you from making that mistake. The best thing you can do for yourself is move forward and work with what you've been given.
By practicing these tips, your mind will slowly alter so that you see the positive things in life. You will be healthier, you will be calmer, and you will be happier.