Four Ways To Develop Positive Thinking
It can be challenging to be positive.
Let’s face it. We live in a stressful world. We face many challenges and often have numerous family and work responsibilities. So it’s no wonder that sometimes it’s hard to put on a smile and think optimistically.
But a positive attitude can work wonders. It can relieve stress, boost your immune system, help prevent illness, help you live longer, and will attract other positive people.
Positive thinking can make your life much better in so many ways, so it’s really worth making an effort to bring more positivity into your life.
To help you do this, let’s talk about four ways you can bring more positivity into your life. With a little effort and practice, you will soon start to feel the benefits of an optimistic attitude.
Read lots of motivational content
One of the most important ways you can influence how you see yourself and the world around you is by strictly managing the content you read.
Reading an inspirational book can help you see things more positively. Reading motivational material can inspire you to overcome limitations, make better decisions, and take positive action more often.
Here are some recommendations for motivational books you should consider reading:
- The Power of Positive Thinking, by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale (affiliate link)
The Granddaddy of positive thinking books, this book was written in 1952 and has motivated millions of people of all cultures and religions. It is just as relevant today as it was when it was first written. Reading this book will cause you to think about things differently, and the many little stories will inspire and motivate you to be more positive.
- Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis.
- You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, by Jen Sincero.
- Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life … And maybe the world, by William H. McRaven
- Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and Its All Small Stuff, by Richard Carlson
Banish negativity wherever you can
While it’s a lofty goal to eliminate everything negative in your life, you can certainly work to eliminate some of it. It’s worth thinking about the things that cause you the most stress and developing a plan to solve or get rid of them.
For example, one thing that causes a lot of stress for many people is clutter. I can relate to this. The sight of clutter in your home, work, or life can distract you from focusing on the positive things around you.
Have you read Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up? Yes, it’s a decluttering book, but it also includes a plan to get negative things out of the way and find joy in your life. The premise is that you go through your possessions and identify the things that bring you joy. The things that bring joy you keep. The ones that don’t bring joy, you get rid of.
Acquire good habits
Developing good habits will boost your positivity because it’s challenging to be positive when you know you are doing something that is wrong or doesn’t work.
Below are some good habits that you can start relatively quickly:
- Exercise more, or even just a little bit more
- Eat a healthier diet
- Keep clutter out of your life
- Smile more often; it makes you feel good
- Strive to see the good in everything all the time
- Spend more time with your family and friends
As for any bad habits you may already have, you know it is not always easy to get rid of them. Simply trying to stop the practice doesn’t always work, and you can find yourself drifting back into it.
Take smoking, for instance. No one would deny it is a bad habit, and you shouldn’t do it, but once you have started, it’s difficult to stop.
So rather than just trying to get rid of bad habits, work to focus on developing strategies to reduce them and do them less. Write down the positive benefits you get from cutting down and reinforce the positive rewards you are getting.
This way, you will find that you have fewer bad and more good habits.
Stop watching the news at night
You may not even have realised it, but the time of day you read negative content can affect how well you sleep.
Watching the news just before bed can put all sorts of negative thoughts into your mind because a large percentage of it will be negative and could cause worry.
So it’s best not to watch the news right before bed. It can make you feel worried, restless, pessimistic, and negative, and you will pass your sleeping hours in the same frame of mind.
Instead, pick up one of your inspirational books and go to sleep thinking of uplifting and positive concepts. You will sleep much better for it.
Final thoughts on ways to develop positive thinking
With these four ways to develop positive thinking, you have a whole arsenal of ideas to make your life more positive and become happier and more focused.
After reading through these tips, what is one way you can make your life more positive?
Share your idea in the comments. It would be great to know what you think.
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