Having a positive mindset
We have all heard about positivity and keeping our mindset positive, but, what does it actually mean to be positive?
What is positivity?
Positivity means being optimistic in life and having a promising outlook of the world. Being positive has many advantages which I will unravel throughout this article as well as how to develop a positive mindset.
The author Remez Sasson defines positivity like this; "Positive thinking is a mental and emotional attitude that focuses on the bright side of life and expects positive results."
Benefits of positive thinking
To begin with, there are many advantages to having a positive mindset. These include both physical and mental benefits for you.
- Reduces Stress
- Increases life span
- Improves your cardiovascular health
- Lowers risk of depression
- Improves your mental health
- Increases your productivity
- Allows you to be more empathetic
- Strengthens your problem solving and decision making skills
- Increases creativity
- Provides a more consistent attitude, decreasing mood swings
- Strengthens leadership skills
How do you develop a positive mindset?
In the following, I will be covering some tips and tricks to cultivating a positive mindset. We have defined the meaning of a positive mindset and discovered some of the many benefits that positive thinking provides for us. Now, you are most likely wondering how will you maintain a positive mindset and where does one begin, but fear not, I will provide the answers now. Be aware that positive thinking takes practice so allow yourself time.
Practice Gratitude
Practicing gratitude allows you to show appreciation for the things you have in life no matter how small or big they are, it is what brings you value. Taking notice of the things you are grateful for boosts your mood and allows you to have a better outlook of life. Gratitude extends the blessings we have in life such as our friends, the weather, our access to resources and much more. My gratitude, for example, would be that I am thankful for my laptop. I am able to write these articles for people like you to enjoy and learn from. This makes me hopeful and happy, improving my outlook on the world and changing up how I approach my day.
Self Evaluation
To self evaluate, you look at the character and behaviours you carry out and identify any areas you think there are for improvement. Self evaluating allows you to maximise your self worth. It gives you the ability to be your best self which is important for having a positive mindset. Self evaluation enables you to feel your best which changes your perception on the world. It allows you to think more clearly and approach situations with positivity.
Accepting
Becoming more accepting of your situations and areas which you cannot change clears up a lot of 'fog' in your mind. It allows you to come to terms with what you have and optimises the most out of what you got. You can use you situations to your advantages. Hey, you might not live in the biggest house right now, BUT, you can work towards getting a better house in the future. Accept what you have now, appreciate it, do what you can with it and come up with solutions to your problems. Accepting what you can not change and finding positives from the situation is much more beneficial to you.
Laugh and Smile
Trying to find humour in your life lets you look at life on a brighter side. It helps with stress management. Smiling along and even laughing with yourself can allow you to accept situations a lot better and it calms you down. If you need to take a break sometimes and can not find it within to laugh at the mistakes, look at videos that bring you joy - cat videos are the best for this - or even reaching out to a friend who will undoubtedly make you laugh.
Today, I will leave off what Courtney Ackerman says on positivity.
"Developing the right thoughts is not about being constantly happy or cheerful, and it’s not about ignoring anything negative or unpleasant in your life. It’s about incorporating both the positive and negative into your perspective and choosing to still be generally optimistic. " - Courtney Ackerman
All the best,
Lucy Lu x