This month is Positive Attitude Month, and although it isn’t easy to suddenly turn into a positive person when you’ve spent your whole life being negative, it can be done – and it is well worth the trouble. People who are “positive” cope with difficulties better, have better mental and physical health, and even live longer.
How can you be a more positive person?
First off, it is important to realize that having a positive attitude doesn’t mean that you just pretend a problem doesn’t exist. It is really more a way of making the best of a bad situation, seeing yourself in a more positive light, and trying to see the best in other people. So, how can you develop a more positive attitude?
• Make an effort to pay attention to your thoughts – you may be surprised how many of them are negative. Practice reframing your negative thoughts into more positive ones.
• Start keeping a gratitude journal. When you take the time every day to write down what you are grateful for, you might start to realize that, although bad things happen, good things do, too.
• Pay attention to how you talk to yourself. If you always speak negatively about yourself or your abilities, it is difficult to have a positive outlook on life! Be encouraging and gentle, and don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to a friend.
• Stay healthy. Exercise isn’t just good for your body – it’s good for your mind, mood, and your attitude as well. Get enough sleep, and find ways to manage stress.
• Hang around with positive people. Negative people can make you feel stressed out and can derail your attempts to think positively, without even meaning to, but you can learn a lot from how positive people approach life.
• Be patient. If you’ve been negative all of your life, it can be very difficult to suddenly be more positive. Over time, you may start to notice it is getting easier, however.
Have you decided to be a more positive person? It’s not easy, but you don’t have to try to do it alone. The staff at Wasatch Crest in Heber, Utah, wants to help. Call (800) 385-3507 today.