Maintaining a positive mental attitude is one of the key assets to have for a successful life. When bad times hit, it can be hard to remain optimistic, but hold a strong positive outlook on the future and you will find it makes such a difference to your wellbeing and productivity.
Check out these 6 useful tips for developing a positive attitude.
1. Smile
Science shows that smiling can lower stress, lift your mood, give your immune system a boost, and even potentially prolong your life.
When you smile, it causes chemical reactions inside your brain that work to increase the production of Serotonin and Dopamine – the feel-good hormones.
These hormones work to decrease stress and increase happiness. Being positive is a lot easier when your happiness is being promoted by your body when these chemicals are released into your bloodstream.
An even more interesting fact is the brain doesn’t care whether your smile is genuine or not. Smiling can actually trick your brain into believing you are happy. So, even when you fake a smile, you genuinely can reduce your heart rate and lower stress levels.
2. Hang Out With Positive People
Keep in mind that positivity is contagious. Surrounding yourself with individuals who can help you stay upbeat is potentially the best way to stay positive.
If you spend a lot of time with individuals who you find to be intellectually stimulating and uplifting, you will discover that you see the world in a totally different way.
There is a well-known theory that you become the most like the five individuals that you spend the most amount of time with. Whether it is something you like or not, the people you spend the most amount of time with will influence you the most, in terms of things like your commitment, enthusiasm, or self-confidence.
If you review the people you spend the majority of time with, both personally and professionally, it can also help you adopt an approach that is more positive.
Do the people who are closest to you have the same philosophies that you do? If your answer is no, then maybe it’s time to limit how much time you spend with them and consider introducing new people into your life that will help you develop an outlook that is much more positive.
3. Always Look For The Silver Lining
It is said that every cloud has a silver lining. No matter how bad certain circumstances may get in your life, there is always something positive you can take from the situation.
There is a saying that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” This is definitely true in terms of having a positive attitude. Having the ability to look at bad situations objectively and seeing the positives that you do have to develop, grow, and learn is a great way to maintain a positive attitude in adverse situations.
Life is comprised of small wins – it’s the small things that can really make a difference. If you can keep those small victories in mind when faced with a hard time, then you can look at the larger overall picture and be able to maintain a positive attitude.
4. Use Positive Language
There is a famous quote by Mother Teresa where she said, “kind words are short and easy to say, but their echoes are endless”. It might sound somewhat corny. However, words are more powerful than you might realise.
If you talk about your life using pessimistic and negative words like unmotivated and undervalued, the more likely you will see it that way and experience the physiological and psychological results.
However, when searching for those silver linings, when you use positive words to describe yourself like friendly and driven, you will begin to view your life in a different way.
5. Stay Fresh
Sleep can help to improve your well-being and health in so many ways. And everyone knows that a more prosperous and healthy individual is a positive person as well.
All of us have experienced feelings of not having enough food or sleep, and we are unable to concentrate, and that our patience is running a bit thin. There might be more to getting enough sleep than you might realise.
Your brain interprets a lack of sleep as a threat to your central nervous system that can impair your judgment. Shawn Achor, who wrote a book called Before Happiness, says that missing only a single night of sleep may result in you remembering 59 percent less positive words, and that can cause you to focus even more on negative words.
On the other hand, if you are well-rested and well-fed, you will be in a much better position for approaching life in a more positive and balanced way.
6. Embrace The Stress
That might sound crazy, but perhaps it isn’t as mad as it first sounds.
The fact that stress has harmful consequences is well known, including insomnia, headaches, depression, anxiety, and irritability. However, its short-term benefits may actually be useful.
Hear me out…
The hormones that get released throughout your body in stressful situations can give your cognitive reasoning ability and memory a boost. It is part of the human ‘Fight or Flight’ response, which allows your body to perform at levels that are superhuman.
When you approach stress not as something negative but as a powerful tool that can be used to make you more confident, focussed, healthier, energetic, and smart, you will overcome your negative thoughts and be able to maintain your positive attitude even during very stressful times.
Having a positive attitude can not only help you achieve both personal and professional success but as you can see, it also provides many other benefits.
For even more great tips on maintaining a positive attitude, take a look at this great video.
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