Negative emotions can trap you in a nefarious spiral. If you want to prevent negative feelings from sinking you, let the light enter your life. Learn to see the bright side of things, avoid negativity, and embark on a journey to improve your mental state.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Finding the Good Side of Things
Step 1. Start smiling more
When you smile, the brain activates neuronal cells that actually make you feel better. Even if you're feeling low, make your face and smile brighten your day. It really works!
- Another advantage of the smile? When you smile, you convey positivity to everyone around you, infecting everyone with a good mood. Smiling is good for everyone.
- If you're in a bad mood, complaining won't make you feel better. Make it a point to smile more often and it will become a natural attitude.
Step 2. Pay attention to the words you use
Sometimes we casually say things that make us feel bad. Instead of using negative words, if you only use positive words, it will gain your mood and attitude.
Don't identify with your feelings. Don't say "I'm sad" or "I'm frustrated". Download negativity to external factors, such as a movie that made you sad or an activity that seems difficult and frustrating to you
Step 3. Make nice gestures for others, even if it's not your way
Did you have a decidedly bad day? This doesn't mean you have to act accordingly. Only convey positivity around you and the smiles you will receive in return will make you think positively. Here are some ideas to brighten the day of the people you meet:
- Clean and tidy up the apartment before your partner or roommate returns.
- Bring some coffee and cookies to the office to offer your colleagues.
- Offer to mow your neighbor's lawn or shovel snow in front of their garage in the winter.
- Greet a stranger and give him a compliment.
Step 4. Hang out with people you have fun with
If you want to think positively, surround yourself with jovial people who know how to value the best part of you. Only hang out with people who support you, offer you their friendship, and who accept you for who you are.
If you don't like being with someone because they put you in a bad mood, stop dating them right away
Step 5. Look for encouraging quotes or mantras, write them down and always carry them with you
If you want to always be in a good mood and positive, put in your wallet or keep on your smartphone some positive quotes and aphorisms that you like, or memorize them to repeat them throughout the day.
When you are on Pinterest, Twitter or Facebook, show interest only in positive comments, so that social networks also bring a touch of positivity into your life
Step 6. Keep a personal journal in which to talk about your emotions every day
If you end your day in a bad mood, try to change that. Make yourself a cup of tea or some other drink you like, make yourself comfortable, take your diary and start describing your day. What happened? What went well? What went wrong? Put everything in black and white.
- Write down three things that went right and explain why. Write down three things that went wrong and explain why. When describing the events that have happened to you, try to be as specific as possible.
- Reread what you wrote. Sometimes, an event that seemed incredibly tragic in your imagination becomes nonsense when you re-read it in your journal. Was it worth taking it so hard?
Part 2 of 3: Avoiding the Negativities
Step 1. Identify the fuse that causes negative thoughts to explode in you
What puts you in a bad mood? What makes you feel bad? Recognize the situations that lead you into a spiral of negative emotional states, to understand how they can be faced and expelled from your life.
- Do you notice that you get angry or angry at a particular time of day? What precise fact is happening at that moment? Is there a person next to you? What exactly makes you angry?
- It may also be that you can hardly ever have positive thoughts. Even the holidays can't put you in a good mood. If so, you may be suffering from depression. Talk to a doctor.
Step 2. Only hang out with friends who support and encourage you
If the people around you do not contribute to your psychophysical well-being, you should remove them from your life. People who criticize you, who stress you or depress you just waste your time and energy. Avoid these people or put clear stakes between you and them.
If you are forced to date someone who confronts you the wrong way or if you can't avoid seeing them, do your best to keep your distance. Tell him honestly that you need your space and would rather be alone
Step 3. Pay less attention to what people say
If you do something that makes you feel good, continue to feel good, regardless of the judgments of others. If what you have done is not a cause for concern for you, do not be swayed by the opinions of others. Listen to your heart and pay less attention to what people say about you or your actions.
Don't ask people for their opinion if you don't really need it. What does it matter if your colleague doesn't like the name you chose for your kitten? What matters is that you are satisfied
Step 4. Stop comparing yourself to others
Competition often produces negative feelings in people. Avoid situations where you are forced to compare yourself or your abilities with those of others. These situations often cause anxiety, resentment, and bad thoughts. To maintain a positive state of mind, avoid putting yourself in circumstances that put you in competition with others.
Step 5. Always stay active, both at work and in your free time
Make sure your days are full of activities and appointments to avoid indulging in negative thoughts. If you keep yourself busy and productive, there is no room for negativity. Focus only on what you need to do and the goals to achieve and nothing else.
Some people are able to overcome negative thoughts by keeping busy, while others do not benefit from commitments, in fact they tend to be more negative. Some need more time for themselves. If you are one of those, take some moments of relaxation
Step 6. Don't worry about small things
Being happy and satisfied, spending time with family and friends - these are the important things. All the rest? Put it in the category of "trivial things". Don't waste your time.
- Forget about social media activities that make you nervous. If a friend writes posts that annoy you and make you angry, avoid replying to them. Ignore him.
- Clearly if you are going through a difficult time and want to improve your life, this is an important step to take to become a positive thinker. Read the next section for more advice.
Part 3 of 3: Improving Your Life
Step 1. Lead an active life
Exercise has been shown to drastically improve mood by releasing anti-stress hormones into the body that contribute to mental and physical well-being. To improve your attitude towards life, choose activities that you enjoy and make them a daily practice.
- Start little by little. Start with a 30-40 minute walk close to home, at a good pace. As you walk, listen to music or a radio show of your choice and enjoy the outdoors.
- Join a sports team of your choice. It doesn't matter if you play football, basketball, volleyball or rugby, simply take advantage of the positive effects that sport has on mood.
- If team sports or the gym are not your thing, opt for an individual activity, such as hiking, swimming or cycling.
Step 2. Plan goals and work towards achieving them
If you find that you are wandering aimlessly and without knowing where you want to go, negativity will take hold of you. To keep negative thoughts at bay, plan goals and work hard to achieve them. Even if they are relatively simple goals, it is important to make sense of the day to face.
- Put down a five-year plan of goals to achieve and each week take a small step to get closer to your goal. Where do you want to go in five years? What can you do right now to move in that direction?
- If you think you've been successful in life, but feel like you haven't made it to the top yet, find a new hobby. Choose an instrument and learn to play it, or discover your hidden creative vein by dedicating yourself to the artistic disciplines.
Step 3. Fully enjoy happy moments with family and friends
Make time to celebrate happy moments with your loved ones. Even if you're busy or your mood isn't great, partying with friends helps build a positive mental attitude.
Celebrate the achievements, from the smallest to the largest. A graduation is a good time to celebrate, but you can find good reasons to make a toast every week
Step 4. Follow proper nutrition
The foods you introduce into your body greatly influence your psychophysical state. Vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids and folic acid have been widely shown to have properties that have a positive effect on mood.
- Don't neglect breakfast. The results of scientific research suggest that starting the day with a good breakfast not only helps metabolism, but brings energy and positivity for the whole day.
- Eat complex carbohydrates, found in whole grains, oatmeal, and sweet potatoes, for energy without the drop associated with consuming simple carbohydrates, such as sugary grains and processed foods.
Step 5. Relax as often as you feel the need
Relaxation is essential for positive thinking. If you're the type who gets stressed easily, take a step back and take a relaxing break when you feel the need. This is not a sign of weakness, it means that you care about keeping yourself efficient and healthy.
- Periodically mark your breaks throughout the day. Simply sit quietly for 10-15 minutes and listen to soothing music or read a newspaper during a busy work day to improve mood and positive thinking.
- When necessary, take longer breaks. Don't waste your vacation days. Take a vacation period to regenerate yourself.
