How to be & stay positive
08:07
Staying positive isn’t always easy, and like attracts like, so sometimes, getting out of that negative loop can be more challenging.
Also, life is filled with ups, downs and all arounds, throwing curve balls and shaking up our lives.
So sometimes, finding the positive really takes practice.
I think positivity should be thought of as such, as a practice that we continue to work at, and something that we always try to return to.
Staying positive is sometimes pretty easy, and at other stages in our lives, it requires dedication and a lot of effort.
As is commonly known, it takes more muscles and indeed subconscious effort, to smile rather than to frown.
Here are a list of things that I personally try to do, to stay out of that negative loop, and to be positive.
- Have a shut down time
Our phones do everything, literally everything, and as silly as it sounds this is one of the hardest things for me to stick to.
Being on our devices all the time gives us no time to think, no time to see how we are actually feeling today? I genuinely believe that they are one of the
causes of us becoming disconnected to ourselves.
But it is how we stay in touch with people, find information, share things like this post, and so on. So I think a healthy cut off point is the ideal.
In the morning, avoid opening up your phone, alarm? Turn off and place somewhere and then go about your morning…create a Rise Ritual that you love (I will be writing a post about this soon)
Once you are up and have woken for the morning, then you can do the checking of emails, and everything else you usually do.
In the evening, have a set time that you know you can stick to… for example 9pm 10pm where you turn off everything, the tv your phone, and let your mind relax.
I must say that I have become fond of the fireplace on Netflix (its just a constant stream of a fire with all its sounds etc) so for me I keep that on and read sometimes, but you get what I mean.
- Have a gratitude journal
I think everyone should have one of these. In the morning preferably, but if thats a no go, in the evening…write down 5-8 things that you are grateful for.
If your feeling pretty negative this can be a tricky task but go with it and see how you get on.
These can be anything and everything, grateful for the bright blue skies of your day, grateful for the delicious breakfast you had, grateful for someone in your life, grateful for the trafficless drive to work…ANYTHING.
Try to do this everyday, and remind yourself that this is never a chore, it should be uplifting to find your journal and think about what you are happy to already have. Sometimes with everything so fast paced we end up in a constant state of want, and this makes us miserable…but shifting the focus to what we have, and reminding ourselves that we are grateful for that can instantly lift our moods. Repeat after each gratitude THANK YOU and say this as enthusiastically as possible, feel silly? Who cares, I’m sure you will feel a smile brewing because of it :)
** Also, ever having a rubbish day? You can go back through this journal and re-read some of your past gratitudes to help lift your spirits.
- What do you like to do?
Yes you might be a taxi driver, an office worker, a teacher, and you might love your job which is awesome…but what else do you enjoy? You might not enjoy your job and in that case, what do you like doing!?
It is so easy to blend our days together, and to feel like we have to do the same thing every day with no time for anything else. Each day is a new day, and you can fit into that day whatever you want.
So what do you like? What do you love?
It can be anything! Going for walks, going to the cinema, dancing, singing, making. If you’re reading this and thinking I do really know what I like to do, then test things out, sign up for classes, go out on walks, plan things and fit it into your life. Life should be filled with living not just sensible must do’s. Fit it into your schedule, and make it happen, stay connected to YOU.
- Go outside
This kind of ties into the above tip, but I think nature does everyone good. If you can, make sure you get outside, this doesn’t have to be long, but at least longer than you simply walking outside to get in the car. For me this is a major one, nature is so therapeutic to me. There is a tiny forest near where I live, and I honestly sometimes just walk there stay there a bit and then walk home.
Does that make me a weird tree hugger? If it does then I’m happy to be weird. Other days I might need to go to the shops, so I will opt to walk through this forest on the way, and that re-route is enough to lift my mood. So, take a walk to the shops, or take your dog to a field, or be like me and just go wander around outside for a bit.
- Interact with people
Arrange to see your friends, to go out. It is now the easiest thing in the world to see how your friends are via phones, but real-time interaction is what we need. I have friends that live further, so skyping is also another nice way to interact properly..a lot better than text talk anyway. Also, say hello to people you walk past in the street, good morning, a smile…interaction is not the enemy and we as humans long for connection.
- Stay in real time
Our minds are crazy clever. We can create our own nightmare situation in seconds, and we can dwell on it, worry on it, and hold on to it for far too long. Worrying about something that hasn’t even happened or may never happen is using our precious energy up. We all do it, but what we can do is try to snap out of it in a quicker fashion.
So if you start to find yourself away in the mind imagining scenarios and worrying about stuff not happening in real time…try to take a step back and think “Is this doing me any good?” Usually the answer is no way, so there is no point spending any more of your time on it and move on, distract yourself with something else and come back to real-time.
- Exercise
Getting the body moving is an amazing way to boost positivity. There are so many incredible ways to exercise these days, I suggest finding things you really enjoy so for me that is practicing yoga, weight training at the gym, and going for walks and bike rides. Exercising just makes us feel better, and the biggest culprit for avoiding exercise I think, is that sometimes we don’t feel like it. If you’re not feeling too positive, sometimes the last thing you want to do is exercise, but this is when you MUST. Your mood will change and your day will get better, guaranteed. Having a gym partner, a friend to run with or going to classes are great ways to make sure you get your exercise in, have fun, and get positive. :)
- Sleep
Sleep should be as important as exercise…if we don’t get enough sleep we don’t have enough time to recover, to replenish. A bit like in yoga classes we practice various yoga asanas (postures) and we end with our savasana, both are needed and both should be valued. This links with the shut off times for gadgets to help you relax better before bedtime.
- Be Kind
Doing something nice for someone really helps to raise not just their mood and day but ours as well. Helping someone with giving them some of your time, treating someone to something, big or small but with good intentions, or even giving genuine compliments are simple ways you can be kind to others. All of these acts of kindness no matter how big or small will lift another persons positive vibrations as well as your own.
- Breath
Before yoga, I didn’t really think about the breath being important other than of course it keeping me alive. We can return to the breath at any time, we can return to a space of calm whenever it is needed. In yoga we use pranayama techniques to work with the breath, to work with that prana energy and that life force energy.
We can return to the breath at all times and it is one of our greatest tools.
Finding a comfortable seat and simply sitting for as long as you have…a few mins, ten mins…and just breathing will do wonders.
Try sitting and ensuring the spine and neck is long, close the eyes and start to concentrate on the breath, when you are ready start to inhale and exhale to your own count of 4. In and out through the nose. Notice how simply connecting to the breath, and connecting to you, helps to lighten and uplift your spirit.
To finish you can add 3 deep inhales followed by exhaling out through the mouth with a sigh - oh so yummy!
- Break it down
We all have things we would love to achieve, but sometimes these things seem so far out of reach, this gets us down. We feel like we just can’t get to that end point so what’s the point in starting, leaving us feeling pretty rubbish. We always look at that goal and think that is way too far away, but it really doesn’t have to be. Breaking down that goal, and thinking about what you can do each week, and each month, to help you to achieve that end result, setting smaller, monthly or weekly goals, will help you achieve your dreams. This will help with positivity as you begin to realise you can achieve what you once thought as impossible.
So, those are a few of the ways that I try to stay positive. By no means am I saying that I manage to adhere to all of these, all of the time. Sometimes I stay up too late, or ditch exercise one day or stay on my phone a little too long. BUT each day I try my best to stay positive by following the above tips, and I can genuinely say that when I do, I feel pretty positive. :)
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