It is no surprise that when we are relaxed and optimistic, we also are happier and healthier overall. Given the opportunity, most people would choose a life that was less stressful, placed less pressure on them, and didn’t cause them to have feelings of anxiety or depression. No one has to convince you that you should try to live a life filled with peace and joy, but actually staying in this positive frame of mind is easier said than done. So, here are a few simple steps to take to lead you to a more positive and healthier lifestyle:
Perspective Is Everything
There are many things in life that are always going to be an unavoidable cause of stress such as problems in personal friendships and relationships, stressful and challenging conditions at work, and bills, but just because these stressors are unavoidable doesn’t mean our reactions to them have to be negative. Any time you are faced with a challenging or stressful circumstance, try to remain focused on keeping a positive perspective – your bills mean your family had everything they needed that month, your job is giving you the opportunity to provide for your family, and fights in our personal lives often come from those who love and care about us the most. Take a deep breath and remember that for every negative situation there is a positive perspective you can have of it the choice is simply up to you.
Affirmations Are Important
We all like to receive compliments and affirmations that we are doing well. But you can also turn your own thoughts into affirmative statements. This is a powerful tool you can use to train your brain to avoid negative thoughts and to only focus on the positive. The idea behind making positive personal affirmations is to create an affirmative statement for a specific goal you are trying to accomplish and to repeat it to yourself multiple times throughout the day. When you force out negative thoughts with these positive affirmations you are slowly training your brain to completely alter the way you think so eventually you will think in a more positive manner naturally. A good affirmative statement always states your goal in a way that makes it already true. For example, instead of saying “I want to be successful” you would say “I am successful”. The idea that our thoughts become our reality is often referred to as the power of positive thinking, and this is why affirmations are so important.
Take A Mental Break
Our minds are taking in information on a constant basis. Whether we are focusing on a direct conversation we are having with someone else, on an action we are doing, or on our surroundings around us, our brains are always at work. It is important that we give ourselves the time we need to take a mental break from the overload of information we are presented with each day.