True, it seems like the world is not a nice place to live in for you. It has so many defects, problems and it’s not at all perfect. But this is what you have got and you have a free will to make changes and modify it in the best version of itself. So, the first step to change anything is to have a positive belief that you can change it. Also, things don’t change quickly, you need to stay positive throughout. So, How do you stay in a positive mindset and why it is important?
Before directly jumping to the question “How” let’s first know “what”.
Contents
What does positive thinking mean?
Positive thinking is just a way of processing thoughts in your mind that benefits you and has a positive impact on your life.
In particular, You can think of positive thinking as being a way of thinking that:
- Helps you achieve something you always desired.
- Helps you feel better and rise above sadness.
- Is useful to your daily household & a professional job and ultimately leads to improving your life.
With such beneficial qualities, a positive mindset helps you and serves a practical, useful purpose in your day to day life.
This is what makes it different from the useless negative thoughts and thinking that don’t help you at all.
What is the importance of positivity in life?
Positive thinking is basically the practice of focusing on the good in any given situation. But it doesn’t mean you ignore reality or make light of problems. It simply means to have an optimistic attitude and approach the good and bad in life with the expectation that things will be alright. It can have a huge impact on your physical and mental health.
We have learned about positivity and now we move to why is it important to have a positive mindset?
There are certainly many benefits to adopting a positive mindset. Here are 11 benefits of Positive Thinking for students, employees, old and young people, veteran or naive, literally everyone who thinks and thinks a lot. Positive Mindset provides you:
- A more worthwhile life: the more you add positive value to your life and positive thinking, the more worthwhile life is for you. just by good thinking, you improve your chances of being happy to a massive percentage.
- Greater confidence: Henry ford – “If you think you can, or you think you can’t either way, you’re right.” the more you believe you can achieve things, the more self-confidence you have.
- Higher self-esteem: As you start respecting yourself and the value you see in yourself, the higher your sense of self-worth gets.
- More happiness and enjoyment: the more positiveness you see in your life, the happier you become, and the more you enjoy life.
- Feeling stronger: as your confidence and self-esteem increase due to positive thinking, you also feel stronger and more powerful.
- More energy: positive mindset often motivates and energizes you to achieve things.
- More peace of mind: the earlier you start liking your own company, the more your mind will be at peace. And a peaceful mind provides you the better solutions and better actions.
- More success: having more energy, more self-esteem, and more self-confidence leads to more success.
- Enjoyable interactions with others: Everyone likes a smiling face and everyone wants a healthy and positive group. So, your jolly behavior is going to attract a happier friend circle.
- Better sleep & health: more peaceful emotions mean less stressful, negative feelings that will definitely be going to affect your physical self. Ultimately, you enjoy the health benefits of positive thinking, including a better quality of sleep.
- Greater clarity of mind: Since you’ve got a choice, missing it in vain is not a good idea. Instead, think in the direction which benefits you instead of the negative ways in which hurt you.
There are numerous benefits of positive thinking. It helps you achieve your goals irrespective of how difficult it is. Whenever an odd situation comes into your life and your mind becomes stressed, with the help of positive thinking you can overcome the stress and become motivated to move on. You become a more charming person and it enhances your relationship with people. The easiest positive thinking trick is just focusing on finding the outcome & solution instead of being stuck in negative thoughts and focusing on how it can go wrong and why it ever happened.
How do you stay in a positive mindset?
Positive thinking is often achieved through a couple of different techniques that are proven effective, like positive self-talk and positive imagery. Here are some tips to get you started that can help you train your brain to keep a positive mindset.
- Focus on the good things
Challenging situations and obstacles are a part of life. When you’re faced with one, focus on the good things no matter how small or seemingly insignificant they seem. If you look for it, you can always find the proverbial silver lining in every cloud — even if it’s not immediately obvious. For example, if someone cancels plans, focus on how it frees up time for you to catch up on a TV show or other activity you enjoy.
- Practice gratitude
Practicing gratitude has been shown to reduce stress, improve self-esteem, and foster resilience even in very difficult times. So, every now and then Think of people, moments, or things that bring you some quiet comfort & happiness and thank them for a minimum of once each day. This can be thanking a co-worker for helping with a project, a loved one for washing the dishes, or your dog for the unconditional love they give you.
- Keep a gratitude journal
I remember a saying – “To get more, firstly, thank for what you have“. It is always the easiest way to get what you want. Start by writing down the things you’re grateful for and it will improve your optimism and sense of well-being. You can do this by writing in a gratitude journal every day, or jotting down a list of things you’re grateful for. In hard times, just read the list. It could be anything, from the smallest things to the biggest things and that will change your thoughts.
- Open yourself up to humor
Remember the quote “laughter is the best medicine“. Well, it actually is.
Studies have found that laughter lowers stress, anxiety, and depression. It also improves coping skills, mood, and self-esteem. Be open to humor in all situations, especially the difficult ones, and give yourself permission to laugh. It instantly lightens the mood and makes things seem a little less difficult. Even if you’re not feeling it; pretending or forcing yourself to laugh can improve your mood and lower stress.
- Spend time with positive people
Negativity and positivity have been shown to be contagious. Consider the people with whom you’re spending time. Have you noticed how someone during a bad mood can bring down almost everyone during a room? A positive person has the other effect on others.
Being around positive people has been shown to enhance self-esteem and increase your chances of reaching goals. Surround yourself with people who will lift you up and help you see the bright side. Such people not only help you lift your mood but also make you feel better about yourself. They help you feel more confident.
- Practice positive self-talk
We tend to be the hardest on ourselves and be our own worst critic. Over time, this can cause you to form a negative opinion of yourself that can be hard to shake. To stop this, you’ll need to be mindful of the voice in your head and respond with positive messages, also known as “Positive self-talk”.
Research shows that even a small shift in the way you talk to yourself can influence your ability to regulate your feelings, thoughts, and behavior under stress. Here’s an example of positive self-talk: Instead of thinking “I really messed that up,” try “Let’s try it another way.”
You should treat yourself the way you’d treat your best friend. You wouldn’t want them to doubt themselves & feel demotivated. You should hype yourself, motivate yourself, you should tell yourself that no matter how hard something is, you can do it. If you fail at something, you shouldn’t just give up. You should try it again.
- Identify your areas of negativity
Take a good look at the different areas of your life and identify the ones in which you tend to be the most negative. Not sure? Ask a trusted friend or colleague. Chances are, they’ll be able to offer some insight. A co-employee might tell you that you tend to be negative at work. Your spouse may notice that you get especially negative while driving. Tackle one area at a time.
- Start every day on a positive note
Create a ritual during which you begin off every day with something uplifting and positive. Here are a couple of ideas:
- Tell yourself that it’s going to be a great day or any other positive affirmation.
- Listen to a happy and positive song or playlist.
- Share some positivity by giving a compliment or doing something nice for someone.
How to think positively when everything goes wrong?
Trying to be positive when you’re grieving or experiencing other serious distress can seem impossible. During these times, it’s important to take the pressure off of yourself to find the silver lining.
Positive thinking isn’t about burying every negative thought or emotion you’ve got or avoiding difficult feelings. The lowest points, where we once thought, we are done. Actually, those are the ones that motivate us to move on and make positive changes.
When going through such a time, try to see yourself as if you were a good friend in need of comfort and sound advice. What would you say to them? You’d likely acknowledge their feelings and remind them that they have every right to feel sad or angry in their situation, and then offer support with a gentle reminder that things will get better.
Real-life Examples
Here are some real-life examples of Positive thinking. See, How people achieved something when even society loses hope on them.
We all know the persona behind the multinational Fast Food Joint KFC Colonel Sanders.
One of the foremost amazing aspects of his life is that the incontrovertible fact that when he reached the age of sixty-five, after running a restaurant for several years, Harland Sanders found himself penniless. He retired and received his first Social Security check which was for 100 and five dollars. which was just the start of his international fame and financial success story…
Colonel Sanders, a fellow who loved sharing his fried chicken recipe. He had tons of positive influence from those that tasted the chicken. Now, he was retired, and up in age, he chose to sell his cool new chicken recipe to the planet. With little means at his disposal, he traveled door to door to houses to restaurants everywhere in his local area. He wanted to partner
with someone so he could promote his fried chicken recipe. Needless to mention, he was met with little enthusiasm.
Colonel Sanders started traveling by car to different restaurants and cooked his fried chicken recipe on the spot for the restaurant owners. If the owner liked the chicken, they might enter into a handshake agreement to sell the Colonel’s chicken. Legend has it that before having his first “yes” he heard 1009 “no”s.
Colonel ahead of his first KFC store. The deal was that for every piece of chicken the restaurant sold, Sanders would receive a nickel. The restaurant would receive packets of Colonel’s secret herbs and spices so as to avoid them knowing the recipe. In the year 1964, He had 600 franchises. At this point, he sold his company for $2 million dollars but remained as a spokesperson. In 1976, the Colonel was ranked because of the world’s second most recognizable celebrity.
It’s amazing how the person started at the age of 65, when most retire, and built a worldwide empire out of fried chicken.
Another example of positive thinking
This one’s about one of my friends. She was having a hard time studying & her marks weren’t improving no matter how hard she studied. She felt demotivated but she didn’t give up. She knew that she needs to push herself and so did she. She surrounded herself with positive people who motivated herself. She focused on her weak points. And when the final exam results came, her percentage increased by 20%. This couldn’t have happened if she gave up. Positive thinking really helps people.
Practicing positive thinking every day
If you tend to possess a negative outlook, don’t expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practicing positive thinking, one day, all your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. you’ll also subside critical of the planet around you.
When your state of mind is usually optimistic, you’re better ready to handle everyday stress in a more constructive way.
You won’t be able to undo years of pessimism and negative thoughts overnight, but with some practice, you can learn how to approach things with a more positive outlook.