The development of a positive psychological attitude begins with the awareness — the realization that you are not the only one who fought, survived and started all over again.
You are not alone and there is a way through the darkness. There is simple wisdom to rely on.
Find support, but also learn to take care of yourself in how you feel about yourself, which is what is positive. This self-talk, the perception and the attitude you choose, will change you and those around you.
In a recent study, Stanford researchers looked at how the brain affects academic performance and learning when someone feels or feels positive about a subject. Not surprisingly, the results were much more favorable for this student.
We excel in areas we are confident in. But what if we can be sure of anything? This will change everything.
Positivity is not just happiness, which is often misunderstood. In fact, recognizing a range of emotions is great. Positivity is persistence in using positive thinking strategies. It means sitting with your feelings, accepting what is, holding on to what makes you happy, and finding purpose in pain.
Here are 5 steps to help you develop a positive mindset.
1. Know that you can change your attitude.
Maya Angelou once said:
“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude."
When you choose a positive attitude towards yourself, you are choosing an attitude that is much more oriented toward resilient behavior than the alternative.
When you are in a negative mood, your brain allows itself to develop negative thought patterns and, in turn, complex and dark emotions. You spend all your days thinking or worrying about the same thing over and over again, thinking it will solve the problem. This will force you to skip answers rather than making the most of the moments in front of you.
In fact, the first thing you need to do is calm down. It seems illogical, but it means getting rid of restless thinking. When you let go of what's bothering you, you choose a safer attitude.
Attitude is everything. It's how we heal ourselves, stay positive, and overcome adversity.
Without a positive attitude, we cannot continue; Persistence is the key to being positive.
Positivity means willpower. You can stand in the storm and feel completely calm when you use positivity. Even if you are pushed, you will get up again.
A positive attitude is the understanding that you have power over your problems. Once you understand this, you can change your attitude. You must first choose positive thinking to reap its benefits.
2. Find your unique meaning in life
When you've lost everything, a positive attitude can help you regain your strength so you can find your purpose again. This is the best way to live and learn.
Recognizing the power you have to keep going, do your best and keep going when whatever you want to give up inside will lead to greater success.
You may not always have it all, but you can always cultivate positive energy. This strength keeps you grounded and safe.
For example, you lost someone due to illness. Instead of just thinking about the loss and seeing it as the end, a positive person may decide to contribute to the cause of this illness. In doing so, a positive person becomes a beacon of hope that gives him power over his adversity through positive emotions.
Meaning creates power over our emotions, so they don't define us.
Positivity affects stress levels and overall health. When you positively assess a situation, you are less stressed and calmer and can reason better to solve the problem you are facing.
Developing this power means realizing that a sense of meaning can be gained from any circumstance, even meaningless tragedies.
You don't always have to have a reason why something happens, but you can use whatever happens for a bigger reason .
“Whatever purifies you is the right path, I will not try to define it. Let go of your mind, then be attentive. Close your ears and listen." -Rumi
3. Be an absolute presence
In life, you control your ability to be present in the moment if you spend time practicing mindfulness.
A positive mental attitude tells itself that this moment matters. You cannot regret the past or see the future. The only way to be positive is to be here.
What is right in front of you that you are grateful for? Listing the things that make us happy in a gratitude journal is one way to start developing a positive mindset.
For example, it's easy to include the phrase "Nothing bad is happening right now." Your past traumas cannot confuse you when you land in the present and your ability to reason further develops to the point that even if you cannot see the future, you know it will unfold like this — when you are empowered and in the moment, using all your wisdom, tools and positivity to persevere. [4]
Think about the past and future in small, manageable doses, but focus mostly on the present . This will greatly reduce anxiety, stress and other negative emotions.
If you feel like you can't settle into the present moment, try mindfulness meditation .
4. Practice loving yourself.
Self-talk — it is the essence of self-love, the essence of a positive psychological attitude. Before helping others, we must help ourselves.
What we tell ourselves is how we practice positivity or put it into practice.
For example, there is a children's book by Wattie Piper "The engine that can where the train thinks "I think I can, I think I can" throughout the journey. Of course, he managed to overcome difficult moments on his route.
This is how self-love works. What you say to yourself is powerful and leaves its mark.
As you write these positive mantras, you begin to feel them. If you write "I'm positive about this situation" enough times, you'll start to feel the positivity creep in.
Loving yourself will not be easy and cannot be done overnight. There will be a ton of feelings, regrets, negative self-talk, and more that you will have to carefully tiptoe through to keep your heart.
Your heart needs love, and often we give up what it needs in pursuit of aimless pleasures like extrinsic rewards rather than intrinsic motivation for a life well lived.
Self-love should come from an authentic place, not from a “fake it until it works” mentality. You must start from within and do the work necessary to heal and stay healthy.
5. Avoid toxicity.
Avoid positivity where you don't acknowledge your struggles or pains (because they also serve you). You don't just want to tell yourself to move on because that is tantamount to suppression.
Emotions are part of being positive. You want to sit with your feelings, acknowledge them and give them a voice. Instead of telling yourself to move on, let your emotions lead you to a breakthrough that will help you deal with life changes..
The biggest misconception about being positive is the assumption that a person doesn't need to feel in order to change. Letting go of resentment, anger, grief, sadness, and all those emotions we associate with “negativity” only hinders our growth and strength.
Positive is not wearing a mask; it is the opposite of a mask. It is freedom from negative thinking strategies such as jumping to conclusions, thinking in black or white, worst-case assumptions, and more. It is an acknowledgment that you may have more power or ability than previously thought.
Toxic positivity might suggest that you just smile and act normal. This is not a real positive.
Healthy positivity is a manifestation of fatigue; love when you feel a loss; healing when you want to cling to your pain. This is the realization that you are worth it, and not write off.
Last thoughts
You don't want to develop a positive mental attitude every second of every day. There are times when you want to throw in the towel, but even then, recognizing the power of positivity will improve your days and help you get through all the trials.
Positivity is about being curious enough to stay looking forward to the outcome because you just believe and hold on and trust yourself and some of the goodness in this world. This is enough to keep them alive, and enough to help them go from surviving to thriving.
You can start at any moment. Positive can be a perceptual switch. Once you rise, there is nothing you can do. And soon you will start to cheer up others, which helps even more.
Positivity is contagious and good for your mental health. It spreads like sunlight in darkness, and you can be the source of that sunlight.