Here are a few things you can do to become more positive.
1. Instead of complaining, always point out the good things in your life.
Positive people will count their blessings, no matter how bad they’re doing, while negative people will count their troubles, no matter how good they have it. Guess which category is happier. Hint: the first one. So, let’s try to count our blessings first.
When someone asks you how you’re doing, always start with the good in your life. When you look in the mirror, tell yourself how pretty you are, or how nice your hair is, instead of mentioning the little weight you’ve put on. When you get home, and your family asks about your day, always start with the positive aspects. Our words, thoughts, and actions are all connected, you know.
2. Only speak positive things.
My Grandma has this habit I’ve always admired. She never says negative things about anything or anyone. If a blouse is plain ugly, she’ll say it has an interesting color or a unique shape. I remember one time, when people were talking about someone annoying, all she had to say was “she has interesting jewelry.” And when a situation is really bad, she always sees the bright side.
By training ourselves to only say nice things, we train our minds to see the positive aspects in everything, everyone, and every situation, no matter how bad. Try this for a while, and see how your life changes.
3. Take the breaks you need.
Take the break you need. If you need a break from work, take it, and go on that vacation you’ve been planning for years. If you need a break from people, shut down your phone for a couple of days, get comfy in your bed and watch Netflix for the whole weekend. If you need a break from everything going on in this world, just shut down that TV, get in bed with a nice book, and take that break. Give your soul what it needs.
4. Practice gratitude.
This might sound dumb to some of you, but after battling cancer, I became a very grateful and happy person. Not for being sick. But the awful experience made me realize how much I have, how blessed I am to be given a second chance to live, heal, and win that fight. How lucky I am to have the most amazing friends and family, and what a good life I have.
It took me a terrible experience to figure that out, but it doesn’t have to be your case. You don’t have to go through something bad to count your blessings. Just do it, every day. Just look at how blessed you are to be here, alive, to have your loved ones, to have a home, and food on your table. If you wake up with a grateful heart every day, your whole life will turn around.
5. Help someone.
When we help someone, even if it’s with the tiniest gesture of kindness, we get the best feeling. So, why not do it every day? You don’t necessarily have to donate money to help someone. You can help someone with their bags. If you see someone whose shopping bag just broke in the parking lot, you can help them gather their stuff. You can offer to water someone’s plants while they’re away. You can hold the door for someone. If you’re cleaning your driveway, you can clean your neighbor’s, too. If you know about someone being sick, you can bring them food, or at least call to check on them.
Kindness and generosity help the people in need, but they also help us feel useful, important, and good about ourselves. So, do it every day, even if it’s just the tiniest gesture of kindness.
6. Eat healthy food and drink plenty of water.
What we eat and drink has a big influence on our spirit. Unhealthy food may be very delicious, but eating junk food and drinking sodas can influence your energy, your health, and your mood. Alcohol is fun, and God knows I love wine, but in excess, it can lead to all kinds of mental health issues like anxiety, depression, insomnia, or addiction.
The secret is and always has been moderation. Eat that junk food, but maybe just once a month. Enjoy that glass of wine, but don’t drink alcohol every day. And make sure you drink plenty of water because when you’re grumpy, it could be just because you’re thirsty. Also, when you drink a lot of water, you have less time for drama, because you need to pee more often.
7. Get plenty of rest.
We are all so tired. Some have to work a couple of jobs to support their families. The times are challenging, we stay up at night stressing about what’s coming next, and so many of us are exhausted. We’ve stepped from a pandemic straight into a war, from a crisis into another.
It’s hard. For all of us. But you won’t be able to help yourself, the world, or anyone else if you work and stress yourself to death. And with every sleepless night, you become more and more tired, and your thoughts more and more negative. So, make sure you go to bed early and get plenty of sleep every night. You will have the energy to get things done, and a better mood, to enjoy life with its ups and downs.
8. Take walks and exercise.
Exercising puts you in a good mood, that’s a well-known fact. It takes a bit of an effort to create a routine and start exercising every day, but once you get used to it, it’s so worth it. Try to walk as often as possible, because being outdoor is healthy for both your body and mind. Let the sun see your pretty face. I’m not into jogging at all, but a half an hour walk always sounds good to me.
9. Listen to music that puts you in a good mood.
I know you have a song that puts you in a good mood, no matter what. If you can’t think of one right now, just search a ‘happy playlist’ on the Internet, and you’ll get plenty of suggestions. Listening to your favorite songs is so good for the soul. Start dancing, and stop stressing!
10. Walk away from negativity.
Walk away from gossip, drama, and other toxic habits that only create negative vibes. When someone talks badly about a person, they create a negative environment that you don’t want to be part of. It’s a waste of time and energy that would be much better spent laughing, dancing, or reading a book.
11. Remove toxic people from your life.
Everyone says that, but we can’t just remove people from our lives. Can we? Well, I have successfully avoided the people who brought a lot of negativity into my life, for the last couple of years. To be honest, the pandemic helped. Also, my being sick wasn’t very convenient for them, so they kinda left on their own. Lucky me, I guess.
But you CAN and should remove toxic people from your life by distancing yourself gradually until they stop being part of your entourage. It’s so worth it! No more drama! No more tantrums! No more guilt-tripping! No more emotional blackmail! Just peace…
12. Read more books, and spend less time watching the news.
We don’t really get good news these days, so I think it’s best we shut down the TV, put down our phones, and get in bed with a good book. Especially in the evening, before we go to bed, watching tv can affect the quality of our sleep. So, instead of getting upset over the news, it’s so much healthier to read a good book or listen to an interesting podcast.
13. Spend more time with positive people.
It’s so important to choose your friends wisely! If you spend time with negative people, you too will be negative. Similarly, if you spend time with successful people, you’ll be more successful, and if you hang around positive people, you’ll become more positive. We continuously exchange energy with the people around us, and the vibes we receive from others will affect the way we think and act.
14. Be nice.
On our worst days, we don’t really feel like smiling, chatting, or complimenting others, but that’s exactly when we should be nicer than ever. You being nice to someone will brighten their day, and seeing the effect you have on others will lift your spirit. Also, by speaking only nice words, you’ll put yourself in a good mood. Be more positive, by sending positive vibes to those around you.
15. Celebrate achievements, no matter how small.
You know what? I’ve started celebrating everything, and I’m loving it. No achievement is too little. You’ve finally put that laundry away? Pop that champagne! Got a promotion at work? Congratulations! No achievement is too small, because it’s the little steps that lead to success. So, if you finally found the courage to make a change, big or small, and you feel one step closer to your goal, give yourself a round of applause. Because you deserve it!
16. Don't compare yourself to others.
Nobody has it easy. We often look at others and envy them for having “better lives”, but we don’t truly know what weight they’re carrying. Most of the time, the lives we believe are “better”, are in fact, a lot more painful than ours. You don’t know the full story, so don’t ever wish to walk in someone else’s shoes. Do your thing, at your own pace, and enjoy what you have.
17. Don't take yourself too seriously.
These days, people get offended over everything. I find this so silly. When did we lose our sense of humor? When did we start to get upset over the tiniest details? I feel like I can’t even laugh at myself without offending someone. Let’s stop taking ourselves so seriously. Let things go. There’s no reason to make a big drama over everything. It’s not healthy for you to get angry all the time, especially if it’s over silly things that don’t really matter.
18. Spend time with people who love you.
The love of our friends, family, partners, kids, and grandkids charges us with the most positive energy. Spend as much time as possible with the people who love you. I take all my energy from my loved ones, it’s like they charge my soul. Sure, work is important, we all have our engagements, duties, chores, lots of things to deal with… but for our mental health, it’s crucial we receive pure love, as often as possible.
19. Keep a positive posture.
Your posture influences your mood and attitude, just as your feelings influence your posture. When you’re doing great, you’re happy, you feel successful and accomplished, you usually keep a high power posture. You stand tall, with a straight back, holding your chin up. Similarly, when you’re feeling down, you tend to look at your feet more often, you’re hunching your back, and have a low power posture. Almost like you’re trying to look smaller, so the others won’t notice you. It is a natural reaction, and it works both ways.
Here’s a trick you can try. Assume the position of Wonder Woman and keep this power pose for two minutes, while smiling and looking forward. You will feel your confidence increasing and your mood improving. Do this every time you’re feeling negative, and it will help you lift your spirit!
20. Search for the best in people.
We all have good parts and bad parts because we’re not perfect. Yes, we have flaws, but we also have positive qualities. All of us. And if you choose to see them over the flaws, you will discover the beauty there is in the people around you. This is a choice, you know. And in some cases, you might need to dig a little until you find those precious qualities. But it will be worth it. There is a lot of positive energy in this world, and we must open our eyes and hearts to see it and receive it.
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