Practice Positive Thinking
The health benefits of positive thinking
How do you identify negative talk
Filtering - You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of the positive ones
For example, you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. That evening, you focus only on your plan to do even more tasks and forget about the compliments you received.
Personalizing - When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself.
For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you.
Catastrophizing - You automatically anticipate the worst.
For Example - The drive-through coffee shop gets your order wrong and you automatically think that the rest of your day will be a disaster.
Polarizing - You see things only as either good or bad. There is no middle ground. You feel that you have to be perfect or you're a total failure
How do you focus on positive thinking?
You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking
Identify areas to change - If you want to become more optimistic and engage in more positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you usually think negatively about, whether it's work, your daily commute or a relationship. You can start small by focusing on one area to approach in a more positive way.
Check yourself - Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you're thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them.
Be open to humor - Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed.
Follow a healthy lifestyle - Aim to exercise for about 30 minutes on most days of the week. Exercise can positively affect mood and reduce stress.
Practice positive self-talk - Start by following one simple rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you. Think about things you're thankful for in your life.
Putting positive thinking into practice:
Examples of Negative to Positive Talk
Negative self-talk - Positive thinking
Negative - I've never done it before.
Positive - It's an opportunity to learn something new.
Negative - It's too complicated.
Positive - I'll tackle it from a different angle.
Negative - I don't have the resources.
Positive - Necessity is the mother of invention.
Negative - I'm too lazy to get this done.
Positive - I wasn't able to fit it into my schedule, but I can re-examine some priorities.
Negative - There's no way it will work.
Positive - I can try to make it work.
Negative - It's too radical a change.
Positive - Let's take a chance.
Negative - No one bothers to communicate with me.
Positive - I'll see if I can open the channels of communication.
Negative - I'm not going to get any better at this.
Positive - I'll give it another try.
Practicing positive thinking every day
If you tend to have a negative outlook, don't expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. You may also become less critical of the world around you.