How to Be a More Positive Person

Lets be honest, I’m not sure if there’s been much good news in a VERY long time and well, that can lead to a lot of negativity and overall unhappiness. I’ll admit it, these past few months I’ve been in a slump. I even started taking up therapy to really get to the bottom of what’s been bothering me and along the way I have learned that while I can’t change the world around me, I can change the way I perceive it (and my life in general). Here’s my two cents on how to be a more positive person:

Get an Exercise Routine

One of the most common self-care recommendations you’re likely to hear is that you need to exercise more. Well, I hate to break it to you — because I’m sure you’re sick of hearing it — but it is absolutely true. There is plenty of evidence that regular exercise can help in the fight against many common mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. If you’re not much of a lifting weights or running on a treadmill type of person, just get out of the house and go for a brisk walk with your dog a few times a day – that counts too! Just make sure you break a slight sweat doing it.

Practice Mindfulness/Meditation

Ok so this is a new one to me that I really have started incorporating and absolutely fell in love with. Mindfulness is so much more than the self-care buzzword that you see popping up on social media. The truth is, practicing mindfulness is one of the most powerful methods of managing stress and reducing anxiety out there.

In reality, practicing mindfulness is as simple as paying attention to how you are feeling, what you are thinking, and considering why, at that moment, you are feeling the way you feel and thinking those particular thoughts. There are so many amazing apps out there right now. The one I am currently using is Ten Percent Happier and have been loving it!

Surround Yourself with Positive People

This one is pretty simple. Cutting out toxic people from your life and instead surrounding yourself with other happy and positive people has a compounding effect. When people around you complain less, you tend to complain less, too. When people laugh, you laugh. Happiness brings about more happiness!

Find a New Favorite Book

There’s nothing quite like reading a good book cuddled up on a couch. While it can be hard to find time to read if you have a busy schedule, these days it’s a little easier because we’re a little more likely to be stuck at home.

Reading isn’t just a way to entertain yourself, either. It can improve empathy, brain function, vocabulary, and overall mood! I know a lot of people are still into physical books, but I’ve transitioned over to digital books on my iPad so that I can keep everything in one place and not have the clutter of books everywhere!

Practice Gratitude

Practicing gratitude has been shown to reduce stress, improve self-esteem, and foster resilience even in very difficult times. Think of people, moments, or things that bring you some kind of comfort or happiness and try to express your gratitude at least once a day. This can be thanking a co-worker for helping with a project, a loved one for washing the dishes, or your dog for the unconditional love they give you. Heck, I’ve even thanked my car for getting me from point A to point B.

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