7 Tips to Be More Positive in Your Daily Life
Positivity is a huge topic within self-development and is one that can be the cause of many discussions around true and false positivity, and even toxic positivity when forced at the expense of doing the real ‘inner work’. It’s something we all strive for - to wake up in the morning feeling positive, to go about our day-to-day lives feeling positive, and to view the world from a positive frame of mind. Of course, it won’t always be that way and with the natural ups and downs of life, it’s quite normal and healthy to sometimes feel a little off-kilter. But there are some easy and powerful ways that you can help to create and sustain a more positive mindset in your daily life and in this article we will be looking at 7 tips to do just that!
#1 It all starts with acknowledgment
As is often said, acknowledgment really is the first step to many aspects of personal growth. If we can’t accept something about ourselves or our lives, then we will find it difficult to be positive or move on from potentially difficult or painful situations. Accepting when something isn’t going well in your life, perhaps it’s a person, situation or event, will bring about a sense of peace within yourself, in particular when that thing is out of your control.
Have you ever noticed how perpetually positive people tend to go with the flow and stay relatively happy no matter what? It’s because they’re living in a certain state of acceptance. Knowing that things happen, things go wrong, people will disappoint you, but understanding that it’s all a part of life allows them to remain positive. That’s not to say that these things should be ignored, but trying to fight against other people’s whims or situations that you can’t change immediately will only make you miserable, so acknowledge what you can’t change, be grateful for what you can, and live your life accepting it all.
#2 Be grateful
Gratuity is such a powerful part of self-development and really can make a huge difference to how positive you feel. When you can practice gratitude on a daily basis you will quickly be able to see all of the wonderful things in your life, which will leave you feeling more positive.
Gratitude will only ever come from a positive place, so taking a few minutes each morning and/or evening to reflect on what you’re thankful for will create an overall more positive mindset.
#3 Have regular mini self-care sessions
We all know the saying ‘Fill your own cup first’ and in order to be more positive in your daily life, self-care is crucial. It’s difficult to feel positive if you’re tired, overworked, fretting about others or on the edge of burnout. Make sure to allow a small pocket (or a large one!) in your day for an act of self-care each and every day and you’re sure to feel more positive overall.
#4 Get outside every day
We need fresh air and exercise every day in order to stay positive, happy and healthy so make it a priority in your life to get out and about at least once a day. Whether it’s for 10 minutes or 2 hours, even a short burst of fresh air and a quick connection with nature can boost your positivity levels greatly and create a happier and healthier mindset.
#5 Let go
As with acknowledgment, letting go of things that don’t serve you will lead to a more positive frame of mind and life in general. When we hold on to grudges or are upset we store negative energy within our bodies and, without realizing it, this can leak out into our every day. Recognize where you might be holding on to some energy, experiences or people that aren’t helping you be a better person or feel positive, and with kindness try to release them. Little by little, the more you can release any feelings associated with things that don’t serve you, the more you can make room for positive experiences and emotions.
#6 Make an effort to do things that make you happy
As with self-care, choosing to do activities that make you feel happy will help you to be more positive. As we get older, we generally have less time for hobbies or fun activities and this can lead to a feeling of unhappiness. Take some time to think about what you enjoy - maybe you love creating art, cooking, hiking, swimming - whatever it is that you enjoy simply for fun, do more of it!
The more you can fill your life with the things that bring you joy, the happier you will feel every day and the more able you will be to stay positive.
#7 Practice positive self-talk
This is a big one. Many of us are conditioned to speak negatively to ourselves - it becomes a natural reaction to berate our actions and have a negative narrative in our minds. Often, when we do something wrong, for example, rather than it being simply about the specific incident, it becomes about who we are as people.
This sort of negative self-talk is really bad for our happiness and our mental health. To address this and try to make changes, become aware each time you start saying mean things to yourself. The next time you mess up at work or at home, rather than making it about you personally, can you try to separate the incident from who you are? Most of the time, what caused the issue won’t have been intentional, so don’t make it mean more than it has to.
Flip the script and try to learn from your mistakes. Say nice things about how hard you tried to do something, even if it didn’t work out how you thought it would, congratulate yourself when things do go well, and give yourself a compliment at the beginning of the day!
In other words, treat yourself as you would treat your loved ones. It’s unlikely you’d say half of the negative things you say to yourself to someone else, so next time you find yourself tempted to do so, change it up and think of something positive instead.
These 7 tips will help you to live a more positive life day-to-day and can really contribute to a happier and healthier mindset. It only takes small changes to feel more positive so make the commitment today to implement some of these tips and we know you’ll feel the benefits quickly!