How To Stay Positive

By: Ava Huntoon

It’s easy to feel sad sometimes and like nothing is going your way, and it can be hard to go back to your normal self when there is someone or something that is ruining your day. I am going to give some pointers on how to keep a positive attitude and find the silver lining in situations. Staying positive is an important skill that will help you have better experiences throughout the day and can help you be happier.

What Does Being Positive Help With?

There are many reasons why being positive is beneficial. First, it can help relieve stress and give you a better outlook on stressful situations. You will also be able to cope with the stress better. Positivity will help attract more people to you and help you gain more friends. Most people tend to surround themselves with people that are positive and have a good attitude. Positivity can decrease negative self-talk as well and give you more confidence. It also gives you more gratitude and makes you more appreciative towards all of the things you have. According to an article written by Travis Bradberry, staying positive can improve your physical health.

Optimism

Being optimistic is a big part of staying positive. If you have an open mindset, you’ll be less closed off to new experiences and new ideas. For example, if you are about to go to an amusement park and you’ve never been before, and you start saying that you’re going to hate it and that amusement parks are stupid, you already have a bad mindset going into it. That mindset creates a greater chance that you won’t enjoy your experience. You can also end up ruining the experience for someone else who loves amusement parks. Even if you don’t end up liking it, you can still try and look on the bright side and what parts you did enjoy.

Look For The Bright Side

When trying to stay positive looking at the bright side of things will help. If something bad happens, try and find out how that bad thing has benefited you. You may have learned some good things about yourself and how you can stay out of the same situations in the future. Like if you were joking and teasing someone and they ended up getting offended. You now know that you have to learn how to cater to your audience better and you know this person’s limits. It isn’t always easy finding the silver lining and it may take some time, but you’ll be a lot happier for it. It will help you move forward from these situations.

Move Forward

Don’t dwell on the past. If you always are thinking of the bad things that have happened in the past then you’ll never be able to fully be in the present. You have to be able to move forward and learn from your experiences in the past instead of always being fixated on them. You can’t over-analyze everything that happens to you and is said to you. If you are stuck on something that you are embarrassed about you have to learn to go easier on yourself. You also can’t complain all of the time. If you are upset about something it’s okay to vent, but if you keep complaining and complaining, then you’re going to continue to be more upset about it. Also, complaining can affect the people around you and put them in a bad mood, and it can make them not want to spend as much time with you.

Positive People

Another good way to stay positive is to surround yourself with positive people. They are more fun to be around, and their attitude will catch onto you and you will find yourself complaining less and thinking less negative thoughts. If people are thinking negative thoughts, they try to put other people down with them. This can be hurtful and it’s a good idea not to associate with people who do this because you might find yourself doing the same. You don’t have to completely cut these people off but maybe just keep some distance. People that feel good about themselves will lift others up not put them down. Those are the people that are good friends to have.

Finding Different Perspectives

Looking at things from different perspectives is also a good way to keep a positive attitude. This will also keep you out of less conflicts. In an article by Frances Bridges, she says to think of the things you have control over instead of seeing yourself as the victim in every situation. If there is someone you’re having a disagreement with, trying to see the disagreement from their side of things will help you have ease of mind. It can also help you be more understanding. Maybe you still don’t agree with them, but it will help to not be as fired up about the argument. It’s very frustrating in arguments when people aren’t even trying to see where you are coming from and just focused on what they think is right because that will never end up solving anything.

In conclusion, positivity is very beneficial to you and your state of mind. Staying positive is a hard skill to obtain but once you do you’ll be happier for it. There are a lot of steps to take to lead you to a positive lifestyle but it is worth it in the end. It will increase how much you enjoy your days and can give you a better effect on the people around you. Be sure to remember all of the things that you feel thankful for.

• Bradberry, Travis. “How (And Why) To Stay Positive.” Forbes. 08 Oct. 2014. Forbes Magazine. 16 Feb. 2019 <https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2013/08/08/518/#4ba4bbba4a13>.
• “How I Stay Positive.” Darius Foroux. 14 Jan. 2019. 16 Feb. 2019 <https://dariusforoux.com/stay-positive/>.
• “How to stop negative self-talk.” Mayo Clinic. 18 Feb. 2017. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. 16 Feb. 2019 <https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950>.
• “How to stop negative self-talk.” Mayo Clinic. 18 Feb. 2017. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. 16 Feb. 2019 <https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950>.