How to have positive attitude

10 Creative Ways to Keep a Positive Attitude No Matter What

Even if you love your job, there are times when things get negative. You may get bogged down by an angry customer, a support error, or a feeling of lacking in productivity.

While it’s easy to fall into a slump based off of one negative experience, it can be just as easy to redirect your mind and, instead, focus on the — hopefully more — positive experiences.

In this post, we’ll go over what a positive attitude looks like, the methods you can use to cultivate and keep a positive attitude, and the best quotes that can help you maintain a positive outlook in work and life.

Positive Attitude

Having a positive attitude means being optimistic about situations, interactions, and yourself. People with positive attitudes remain hopeful and see the best even in difficult situations. In contrast, those with negative attitudes may be more pessimistic and disagreeable, and typically expect the worst outcome in tough situations.

While having a positive attitude doesn’t necessarily make you less stressed, it can equip you with the tools you need to cope with stress in a healthier way. Let’s take a look at the ways a positive attitude can manifest in your work and personal life.

Why is having a positive attitude important?

If you have a positive mental attitude, you can deal with stress and negative situations in a much healthier way.

For example, you may not fear stress as something physically deprecating and dangerous, but as a means to a greater end. Other benefits include creating actionable goals based on dreams, making and maintaining more positive relationships, and giving your immune system a well-needed boost.

A positive outlook manifests in the following ways:

You’ll be more optimistic.

Having a positive outlook naturally results in a more optimistic view of life. Rather than thinking “the grass is greener on the other side,” you’ll feel that you’re already on greener grass. You’ll see the positive side to most situations, helping you deal with negative events.

You’ll deal with disappointments and failures more easily.

They’ll still be hard, but you’ll cope and bounce back. Not only that, but you can accept that things turned out the way they did, rather than being in denial. Those with a negative attitude will dwell and ruminate over negative events.

You’ll be more empathetic and understanding toward others.

With a positive attitude, you learn to see the thoughts behind people’s actions and why they may have acted the way they did. Rather than jumping to a harmful conclusion, you can understand where people may be coming from.

You’ll be more grateful.

A positive outlook will teach you to be grateful for the good things in your work and life. You’ll approach every day with an appreciative mindset.

Clearly, having a positive attitude is immensely beneficial, yet it’s easier said than done. By adopting some of the following tips, you can maintain a positive attitude through highs and lows and improve your work ethic.

10 Creative Ways to Keep a Positive Attitude

Start a gratitude journal.
Treat yourself to some self-care every day.
Start every morning strong.
Avoid spreading gossip.
Crack more jokes.
Take real breaks.
Have something to look forward to after work.
Practice meditation.
Focus on the long-term instead of the short-term.
Listen to music that matches your mood.

1. Start a gratitude journal.

There’s so much to be grateful for in life, so why not remind yourself of that on a daily basis?

A gratitude journal is a wonderful way to stay positive every day. Once a day, you jot down at least three aspects of your day for which you feel thankful. They can be as small as seeing a cute dog on your way to work or as large as getting an offer for your dream job. Additionally, they can be something that happened to you on that specific day — such as getting yourself a large latte — or something that exists in your life always — like having a family who loves you.

Whatever you want to write is up to you. All that matters is that you’re remembering to feel grateful every day. By retraining your mind to think about all the good things in your life, you can develop a more positive outlook.

2. Treat yourself to some self-care every day.

It’s always important to take care of both your physical and mental health. It can feel overwhelming when you’re working a full-time job that requires you to constantly interact with people — whether they be customers, prospects, co-workers, or managers — in high-pressure situations.

To keep moving forward with a positive attitude, it’s essential that you take a step back and treat yourself to something special. Self-care doesn’t always have to involve a nighttime soak in the bath with candles and a glass of wine — although that sounds lovely, too.

Consider the ways you can unwind, de-stress, and have some “you” time. Some examples are doing a face mask, watching a movie, baking, reading, calling a friend, getting takeout, or even just saying “no” to plans and, instead, staying in. No matter what it is, you should get into the habit of practicing something every day. By allowing yourself these moments of rest, you can ensure a more positive attitude when you’re on the work grind.

3. Start every morning strong.

It’s easier to maintain a positive attitude all day if you implement it right after opening your eyes in the morning. That dreaded moment when the alarm goes off can often lead to irritation, which sets you on the path to have a negative attitude all day.

Instead, think about some ways to make your morning the best part of your day — especially if you’re not a morning person. Consider waking up a half hour or an hour earlier than usual. This means getting into bed earlier, too! Give yourself time to do the things you love but may not always have time for; go for a run, relish in a hot shower, have a cup of coffee, and actually make breakfast (and, no, granola bars and frozen waffles don’t count). Put on your favorite music or show, or even whip out a book and start your morning doing something you love while enjoying a home-cooked meal.

When your morning is more productive and less rushed, you’ll be sure to head to work in higher spirits. That morning glow will spread throughout your day, and then, the cycle can repeat.

4. Avoid spreading gossip.

To many, gossip is their bread and butter. However, the mere act of saying things — whether or not they are true — behind someone’s back that you wouldn’t say to their face is negative. In the workplace, gossip leads to an unstable, unsafe, and disagreeable environment. After all, if you’re spreading rumors about your coworkers, chances are they’re doing the same about you … yikes.

It can be hard to avoid gossip, but simply refuse to get involved. If someone tries to reveal a dramatic story about a coworker, decline and tell them you’d rather not participate. While that may feel odd, you’ll actually find that you feel lighter when not carrying the weight of secrets. And, when you’re not talking about other people, you can feel more confident that others are keeping their lips zipped about you. And that’s a reason to feel optimistic.

5. Crack more jokes.

Humor truly is the best medicine. Laughter has great short-term results on your mindset and body. According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter can increase endorphins, relieve stress, and release tension.

In the long-term, laughter — and the positive thoughts associated with laughter — can release neuropeptides, which fight stress and other serious illnesses. It can also help you cope with difficult situations and make you feel happier. By cracking more jokes, you can make humor out of potentially negative situations at work, and — at the same time — prepare your body and mind for a more positive outlook.

6. Take real breaks.

On a busy, eight-hour day, it can sometimes be difficult to find time for a serious break. That means leaving the workspace, having a meal, and putting away all work-related information. You are legally allowed to have a break, and you should never feel like that rest period is jeopardized.

Working for eight hours straight can make you feel sluggish and irritated. A break — even for 30 minutes — can re-energize you and make you more motivated to continue your work for that day. Give yourself time to refuel your positivity, and you’ll be sure to end the day on a better note.

7. Have something to look forward to after work.

You may be tired after a long day of work, but having something planned after 5 p.m. can make the day look a little brighter. Whether it be with your coworkers, family, or friends, a night of fun can make the day go by a lot faster.

Your plans don’t always have to involve going out for drinks or dinner. Even planning a Netflix marathon can put a silver lining on your workday. The point is to craft your days to be more than just “work.” By penciling in some fun time several days a week, you can find a healthy way to balance your personal and professional life.

8. Practice meditation.

Practicing meditation can do a lot to decrease stress and anxiety, as well as improve mental and spiritual health. Proper meditation can decrease workplace anxiety for those in high-pressure work environments, such as in customer support or service.

Even five minutes a day is a great start to a meditation routine. Practice deep breathing and clearing your mind. Simple methods like this are effortless and will help you find balance in your life, as well as let go of the negativity and stress that you may experience on a daily basis.

9. Focus on the long-term instead of the short-term.

When a conflict arises — either with a coworker or with a customer — your immediate reaction might be to jump to the defense. You want to protect yourself and garner respect, which is a good thing. However, the more conflicts in which you partake, the more negativity will surround your life.

Instead, take a second to step back and view the situation from a third-party perspective. Will participating in this conflict be beneficial in the long run? Or, will it simply cause unnecessary stress and negativity at the moment?

Often, a customer is simply having a bad day, or a coworker is facing stress. Rather than snapping back, you can practice empathy. This might help you get to the root of the problem and end the conversation on a positive, lighter note.

10. Listen to music that matches your mood.

It seems ironic, but sad music may actually help boost your mood. According to a research study, many people tune into sad songs as a form of mood enhancement. Many consider sad music to be “beautiful,” which helps people feel better. In addition, sad songs can invoke memories, distract from negative situations, and carry strong messages.

A different study states that sad music might evoke positive moods because sadness somehow feels satisfying and cheerful when experienced through art. So, listening to sad music might just lift your mood during or after a long, tough workday. Cue up some Adele, and let your negative mood disappear.

When you practice the above tips, you’ll find your attitude much improved. And you’ll find that it comes out through your actions, too. Take a look at some examples of what a positive attitude can look like in your work and daily life.

Positive Attitude Examples

Looking at the Bright Side After Getting Laid Off
Practicing Self-Care after a Failure at Work
Meditating When Feeling Overwhelmed at Work
Finding Worthwhile Pastimes While Stuck in Traffic

1. Looking at the Bright Side After Getting Laid Off

If you’ve ever been laid off, then you know how unpleasant it is. You feel like your worth has been brought into question because you weren’t important enough to stay on the company’s payroll. Even if it wasn’t by anyone’s choice but rather a result of financial instability, it can be disheartening, especially if you have family to take care of.

Armed with a positive outlook, you would:

Let yourself feel the pain and grief of losing your job. Having a positive outlook doesn’t mean not feeling badly; it means getting up after life gets you down.
Create a plan and take care of the basics, such as securing unemployment benefits.
Start a new hobby or side business, or do things that having a job prevented you from doing.
Practice self-care to remind yourself of your value.
Read a book, start a new show or podcast, or seek another stimulating pastime. Maybe you can be the stay-at-home parent and take care of the kids.
Start applying for jobs with the hope of securing better pay, better benefits, or a better work environment.

2. Practicing Self-Care after a Failure at Work

After messing up at work, it’s easy to feel downtrodden and dwell on the failure. Maybe you didn’t prepare a presentation well enough, your disorganization got in the way of your productivity, or your manager once again had to meet with you about your performance.

To face this situation with a positive attitude, you would:

Accept that you could’ve done better, but that the only way to go now is up.
Treat yourself with as much compassion and understanding as if a colleague had made this mistake, and you were looking at it as a bystander.
Practice self-care to avoid overthinking and remind yourself of your value.
Let it go and know that you can always do better.
Create an internal improvement plan so that this mishap doesn’t happen again.

3. Meditating When Feeling Overwhelmed at Work

Does this sound familiar? You have twenty clients to follow-up with, a presentation due just this week, and a meeting with higher-ups about your team’s performance. In this situation, nearly anyone would feel overwhelmed. Even if the details are different, we’ve all felt in over our heads at one time or another.

A person with a positive attitude would deal with this situation by meditating or finding another coping mechanism. You would also:

Take inventory of everything you have to do and prioritize them by importance.
Reach out to your manager to let them know you’ll need more time, if possible.
Practice self-care and understand that your productivity at work doesn’t define your worth.
Postpone what can be postponed and do what must be done now.
Get up earlier than usual to have a few more hours in the day to catch up on work.
Unwind in the evening by reading, exercising, or watching a comfort show.

4. Finding Worthwhile Pastimes While Stuck in Traffic

Road rage is, well, all the rage — especially if you live in a congested area. Will you get angry and try to merge from lane to lane so you can find the one that’s going more quickly?

With a positive outlook, you would:

Accept that there’s nothing you can do about traffic, and that getting angry hurts you more than anything else.
Take a few deep breaths while at the wheel and slow down the speed of the vehicle.
Find a podcast on your favorite music player, or listen to music you’ve never listened to before.
Think about your tasks for the upcoming day and make additional plans if necessary.
Call up a friend or family to help pass the time.

As you can see, having a positive attitude helps immensely even when facing something as major as a layoff or as minor as traffic.

Below, you’ll find some positive attitude quotes you can bookmark to help you maintain your positive attitude.

Positive Attitude Quotes

"Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose." - Lyndon B. Johnson
"A good laugh is sunshine in the house." - William Makepeace Thackeray
"If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes. " - John Wooden
"Every day brings new choices." - Martha Beck
"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." - Maya Angelou
"Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure." - Oprah Winfrey
"You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them." - Maya Angelou
"Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will." - Zig Ziglar
"You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind." - Joyce Meyer
"People deal too much with the negative, with what is wrong. Why not try and see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom?" - Thich Nhat Hanh

Keep a Positive Attitude to Improve Your Work Life

Now that you’re equipped with all the tools, tips, and mantras you need, you can set yourself on a path to a positive, refreshing attitude on life. And maybe, just maybe, this will help you find more happiness in your work life, allowing you to be more productive and face failures head-on.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in October 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

How to Think Positive and Have an Optimistic Outlook: 8 Tips

Are you a glass half-empty or half-full sort of person? Studies have demonstrated that both can impact your physical and mental health and that being a positive thinker is the better of the two.

A recent study followed 70,000 women from 2004 to 2012 and found that those who were optimistic had a significantly lower risk of dying from several major causes of death, including:

heart disease
stroke
cancer, including breast, ovarian, lung, and colorectal cancers
infection
respiratory diseases

Other proven benefits of thinking positively include:

better quality of life
higher energy levels
better psychological and physical health
faster recovery from injury or illness
fewer colds
lower rates of depression
better stress management and coping skills
longer life span

Positive thinking isn’t magic and it won’t make all of your problems disappear. What it will do is make problems seem more manageable and help you approach hardships in a more positive and productive way.

Positive thinking can be achieved through a few different techniques that have been proven effective, such as positive self-talk and positive imagery.

Here are some tips that to get you started that can help you train your brain how to think positively.

Focus on the good things

Challenging situations and obstacles are a part of life. When you’re faced with one, focus on the good things no matter how small or seemingly insignificant they seem. If you look for it, you can always find the proverbial silver lining in every cloud — even if it’s not immediately obvious. For example, if someone cancels plans, focus on how it frees up time for you to catch up on a TV show or other activity you enjoy.

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.

Keep a gratitude journal

Studies have found that writing down the things you’re grateful for can improve your optimism and sense of well-being. You can do this by writing in a gratitude journal every day, or jotting down a list of things you’re grateful for on days you’re having a hard time.

Open yourself up to humor

Studies have found that laughter lowers stress, anxiety, and depression. It also improves coping skills, mood, and self-esteem.

Be open to humor in all situations, especially the difficult ones, and give yourself permission to laugh. It instantly lightens the mood and makes things seem a little less difficult. Even if you’re not feeling it; pretending or forcing yourself to laugh can improve your mood and lower stress.

Spend time with positive people

Negativity and positivity have been shown to be contagious. Consider the people with whom you’re spending time. Have you noticed how someone in a bad mood can bring down almost everyone in a room? A positive person has the opposite effect on others.

Being around positive people has been shown to improve self-esteem and increase your chances of reaching goals. Surround yourself with people who will lift you up and help you see the bright side.

Practice positive self-talk

We tend to be the hardest on ourselves and be our own worst critic. Over time, this can cause you to form a negative opinion of yourself that can be hard to shake. To stop this, you’ll need to be mindful of the voice in your head and respond with positive messages, also known as positive self-talk.

Research shows that even a small shift in the way you talk to yourself can influence your ability to regulate your feelings, thoughts, and behavior under stress.

Here’s an example of positive self-talk: Instead of thinking “I really messed that up,” try “I’ll try it again a different way.”

Identify your areas of negativity

Take a good look at the different areas of your life and identify the ones in which you tend to be the most negative. Not sure? Ask a trusted friend or colleague. Chances are, they’ll be able to offer some insight. A co-worker might notice that you tend to be negative at work. Your spouse may notice that you get especially negative while driving. Tackle one area at a time.

Start every day on a positive note

Create a ritual in which you start off each day with something uplifting and positive. Here are a few ideas:

Tell yourself that it’s going to be a great day or any other positive affirmation.
Listen to a happy and positive song or playlist.
Share some positivity by giving a compliment or doing something nice for someone.

Trying to be positive when you’re grieving or experiencing other serious distress can seem impossible. During these times, it’s important to take the pressure off of yourself to find the silver lining. Instead, channel that energy into getting support from others.

Positive thinking isn’t about burying every negative thought or emotion you have or avoiding difficult feelings. The lowest points in our lives are often the ones that motivate us to move on and make positive changes.

When going through such a time, try to see yourself as if you were a good friend in need of comfort and sound advice. What would you say to her? You’d likely acknowledge her feelings and remind her she has every right to feel sad or angry in her situation, and then offer support with a gentle reminder that things will get better.

Negative thinking and the many feelings that can accompany it, such as pessimism, stress, and anger, can cause a number of physical symptoms and increase your risk of diseases and a shortened lifespan.

Stress and other negative emotions trigger several processes in our bodies, including stress hormone release, metabolism, and immune function. Long periods of stress increase inflammation in your body, which has also been implicated in a number or serious diseases.

Some of the symptoms of stress include:

headache
body aches
nausea
fatigue
difficulty sleeping

Cynicism, stress, anger, and hostility have been linked to a higher risk of:

heart disease
heart attack
stroke
dementia

If you’re feeling consumed by negative thoughts and are having trouble controlling your emotions, see a doctor. You may benefit from medical help, such as positive psychology or therapy. Persistent negative thoughts can be caused by an underlying psychiatric condition that requires treatment.

You won’t be able to undo years of pessimism and negative thoughts overnight, but with some practice, you can learn how to approach things with a more positive outlook.

How to tune in to the positive in a situation of uncertainty

In today's situation, experiencing anger, fear, anxiety and helplessness is completely normal and natural. How we will feel, for example, a year or two after the current events, one can only fantasize. What to do to tune in to a positive wave right now, MAAM.RU was told by the specialist of the Moscow psychological assistance service Svetlana Isaeva.

Loss of control

When confronted with something unpredictable, we first have a mobilization reaction. This is an excellent natural protection that helps to cope with difficulties, set and achieve your goals, make plans for the future, but there is one problem. When uncertainty and unpredictability last too long, we become exhausted.

Each of us has our own personal threshold of tolerance for uncertainty, and when it is exceeded, confusion, fear and other negative feelings increase. Then a state of chronic anxiety accumulates. We protect ourselves from this in different ways, as long as we have the strength: we agree, compensate for our favorite activities and hobbies, training. If resources run out, we begin to regress in our defense methods and then we defend ourselves like a child, but how do children defend themselves? That's right: either cry or "bite"! I am sure that we are now living through the collective psychological trauma of the current events. Trauma from loss of control over one's own life, well-being, fear of illness and death, and much more.

Look for pluses

Wanting to alleviate our condition, we need the support of others, we are looking for sympathy, advice, just attention, it is important for us to share our feelings with at least someone, but how is it now? It is very scarce, because it is dangerous for many to meet live. And the habit of "encapsulation" is increasingly dividing us. We are deprived of the most important human need - to be close to our own kind, to receive support and recognition, that very “we are of the same blood”.

There is a useful exercise, which is called differently: reframing or the "but" technique. For example, “I can’t afford a trip to the Mediterranean, but I traveled all over Crimea by car” or “I’m afraid to go to my mother, who is 65+, but I bought her a smartphone, taught her how to use it, and she now communicates via video with friends from other cities, with whom I have not seen for many years, and I am very happy about this. ” And so try with all the restrictions that have entered our lives.

In today's situation it is difficult for many people: both a kind of "Germans" by nature, who are used to making plans for the long term, and more spontaneous people who are acutely experiencing monotony and monotony. People are angry that there is little movement and dynamics, although it is safer. We defend ourselves as best we can, get upset, aggressive, or, resigning ourselves to circumstances, become such "robots" when we no longer have the strength to actively express our feelings.

Time to work on yourself

Of course, I would like people to turn to a psychologist or psychotherapist, but if it is not possible to go to support groups, then it is important to know and master self-help methods. For example, the simplest thing is to observe the daily regimen, drinking regimen and give physical activity - any that is available at the moment. Ask yourself more often: “How do I feel now? What do I need? How can I improve my condition?

It is also important to observe psychological and informational hygiene, or, as T. V. Chernigovskaya, a scientist in the field of neuroscience and psycholinguistics, says, do not feed the brain with what is not useful, allocate time for yourself, master ways of relaxation and auto-training. Work with your mind, discipline it, do not let it “generate” any toxic thoughts: “it will never end”, “everything is so bad that the gap will never come”, “this is now forever”.

7 ways to become an optimist — 7spsy

06/13/2019 Author: Psychologist Pavel Horoshutin

“I was taught from childhood that nothing in life comes easy. Like, if you laugh a lot today, tomorrow you will cry a lot. And it was literally: I, a little girl, was scolded for laughter and fun - the most natural state for a child. These thoughts haunt me into my adult life. When something good happens - a promotion at work, meeting a nice person, or just a good day - I can't fully enjoy it. The thought gnaws at me that the consequences will soon overtake, soon life will show its true face and demand retribution. Most often, of course, nothing like this happens, but children's settings just can't be thrown out of your head. I feel like I'm missing out on my own life because of them. So now the most pressing question for me is how to finally become happy and cheerful. ”

— Elena, 29 years old

If you are reading this text, you are probably familiar with the phrase “positive thinking” – this is one of the main trends in the topic of self-development and psychology. And, as is often the case with trends, there are a lot of myths and disputes around it. Many oppose it sharply, arguing that optimism imposed from the outside is unnatural for a healthy psyche, that it only causes more stress, dissatisfaction with oneself and feelings of guilt if one suddenly fails to be “positive” 24 hours a day.

Of course, there is some common sense in this. Do not go to extremes. We will not tell you how to be always positive at any cost, get rid of negative thoughts, how to deal with anger, sadness, despondency and other emotions - they are all completely normal for any person and necessary for our mental health.

But even pessimism taken to an extreme degree rarely benefits us. The habit of seeing everything in a negative light leads to dissatisfaction with one's life, self-flagellation, self-doubt, guilt. Under such conditions, it is impossible to fully realize one's talents and achieve success in work. Relations with people also deteriorate, because a pessimist does not believe in the good intentions of others. He is increasingly moving away from society, withdrawing into himself. Life loses its bright colors, it seems that nothing good is happening and it will only get worse. This kind of thinking can eventually lead to severe depression, which can only be cured with medication.

That is why it is so important for each of us to learn to see the positive aspects in life - and there are not so few of them as it seems. It’s just that it’s more convenient for the human brain to notice only the negative. In this article, we will explain why this happens and how to learn to think positively to make your life better.

Contents:

The habit of thinking negatively
How optimism changes your life for the better
Seven ways to set yourself up for positive
- Violet bracelet
- Diary for a person - you should not blame yourself for this. After all, our brain has retained a lot of mammals. And it is important for animals to focus on the dangers and worst-case scenarios in order to survive and keep their children safe. [1
  
  The good news is that the habit of seeing the world as black is really just a habit, neural connections that have been built up over many years. This is a consequence of various factors:
  - upbringing and parental attitudes;
  - fast pace of life, and as a result - frequent stress and lack of time for oneself;
  - features of character or temperament: for example, melancholic people are timid and naturally inclined to pessimism;
  - hormonal disruptions that can cause depression and other mental disorders;
  - the influence of the media, which, for the sake of high traffic, publish bad news more often.
  Simply put, pessimism is a learned form of behavior, and not something inborn that cannot be eliminated. How to stop thinking negatively? You just need to build new neural circuits. It is quite realistic to cultivate an optimistic view of the world, because it is built according to the same laws as the negative one.
  
  Let's learn to be an optimist
  
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  How optimism changes life for the better
  “Before, I didn't know how to enjoy life at all. I took my achievements for granted, did not appreciate the people who were next to me - all the time I suspected them of self-interest. I didn’t waste time on “stupid” dreams - they still won’t come true. And then she became so tired of gloomy thoughts. I thought: how much can you not trust the world so much? Does every first person only think how to take advantage of me? Why do I forbid myself so much? I have a lot of opportunities, I can achieve anything I want. In general, as if the veil had been lifted. I rethought my whole life, improved relationships with people, fell in love with myself - and my career immediately went uphill, and in general life became more interesting. And soon I'm going to Italy for a whole month. I will eat pizza every day, walk around the ruins of the Colosseum and walk around the best boutiques in Milan - everything I dreamed of as a child. Now I can read a whole lecture on how to think positively and why it is necessary.
  
  - Sophia, 36 This quote is attributed to many historical figures, but whoever uttered it, its essence is beyond doubt. You yourself are what you think. Your whole life is the result of your thoughts. Thoughts determine feelings, feelings determine actions, and actions determine how life unfolds. So, in order to change your life, you must first change your thinking. [2]
  
  Optimism helps you do the right thing and respond positively to what life has to offer. It does not guarantee 100% success, but it allows you to at least take a step towards it. After all, to win the lottery, you need to at least buy a ticket. And many pessimists do not even take this seemingly obvious step.
  
  The positive impact of positive thinking on success is obvious. But not everyone thinks about the fact that optimism can improve health. Meanwhile, scientists have conducted experiments many times and each time found out that positive-minded people really feel much better than pessimists. In particular, they have:
  - less likely to experience depression;
  - lower stress levels;
  - longer life;
  - higher body resistance to infections;
  - cardiovascular disease is less common.
  In general, optimists cope much better with life's difficulties and have a higher quality of life. Most likely, the matter is in the “hormones of happiness”, which are produced in large quantities and better protect the body. Therefore, each of us needs to know how to tune in to the positive.
  
  The most important thing is to remember that we can control our own thinking. We choose how we approach life. And it is never too late to influence your mind and your behavior to change your whole life.
  
  Seven ways to set yourself up for positive
  
  So, we found out that it is quite possible to develop the habit of thinking optimistically - you just need to set yourself such a goal. And now we will share ways that will help the brain to adapt to a new type of thinking. Do these exercises in combination and remember that regularity is important for best results. Within a couple of months, you will notice how your thoughts, mood, and then your life have changed.
  
  1. Purple bracelet
  
  In 2006, Will Bowen, author of The World Without Complaints, suggested that everyone wear a purple bracelet to learn to live without complaints, criticism, and gossip. The bracelet had to be changed from one hand to another at the first negative thought. The goal is to wear the bracelet on one arm for 21 days.
  
  There are hundreds of people's stories on the Internet about how the bracelet helped them learn optimism. However, psychologists believe that such an artificial suppression of negative emotions is very harmful to the psyche: it can lead to depression and psychosomatic illnesses. Therefore, we offer a more gentle option. Use the bracelet to pay attention to your thoughts and think about how they can be useful. Perhaps right now you really really need to complain about the life of a loved one in order to receive a portion of care and attention - this will fill you with energy. There is nothing wrong with negative emotions if you express them without harm to yourself and other people, work through them without getting hung up. The main thing is that they do not overshadow the consciousness and do not interfere with seeing the good.
  
  2. Gratitude Diary
  
  Every day before going to bed, write at least ten reasons why you should be grateful for this day. Even if nothing significant happened, remember that you can be grateful that you woke up this morning, for delicious food and a warm bed, for having loved ones - in general, for many things that we often think ordinary and self-evident. This practice will help you remember that there is already a lot of good in life - and this is a great foundation to build on it the life of your dreams.
  
  3. Body language
  
  Body and mood are closely related. Therefore, if it is impossible to influence the consciousness, try to start with the body. For example, if you artificially depict a smile for only two minutes, the muscles will give the appropriate signal to the brain, and it will really “turn on” a good mood. Do not forget about posture and confident gait - this is another way to set yourself up in a positive way.
  
  4. Positive on schedule
  
  You need to set three alarm clocks for any convenient time - the main thing is that they remind you of yourself every day. At the appointed time, take a break from business and think about something good for exactly a minute. It is better if these thoughts are related to the current situation. For example, if you are busy preparing a report, think about how much you have done. In just a few weeks, the brain will learn to notice good things in the world around it. [1
  
  5. Meditation
  
  This practice has nothing to do with entering a trance and other esoteric things. Its goal is to learn to stay in the present moment without worrying about the past and the future. After all, most often our pessimistic thoughts are connected either with excitement for the future, or with the scrolling of past events. If you focus on the present for a minute, then most likely it will turn out that everything is fine right now: you are at home or in the office, which means you have a roof over your head and work, nothing threatens you, you are safe and you have the resources to keep going.
  
  Find a comfortable place where no one will disturb you. The most comfortable position is to sit up straight so that there is support on the feet and spine. Shift all your attention to your sensations: feel the contact of the body with the chair and the floor, pay attention to what sounds surround you, follow your breath: how the chest or stomach rises and falls, how the nose draws in air. You can mentally pronounce "inhale - exhale."
  
  In the process, the mind will definitely start to wander, some thoughts will arise. Your task is to track their appearance, but not to switch attention to them. Return to your breath each time. [3]
  
  You can start practicing even with one or two minutes, in the future it will be easier to do it and it will be possible to increase the time. The main thing is to meditate every day, for example, immediately after waking up or before going to bed.
  
  6. Three positive aspects
  
  When an unpleasant situation occurs in life, you need to sit down and write down at least three positive aspects that are in it. By getting used to doing this every time, you will learn to focus on the positive, not the negative, and learn from any situation valuable experience.
  
  7. 7Spsy Behavior Change Technology
  
  If our advice on how to become a positive and cheerful person did not help you, most likely, pessimism is deeply rooted in your psyche, it has become a stable behavior pattern that is not so easy to change on your own. After all, for this you need to “get” negative attitudes learned from childhood from the subconscious and replace them with positive ones.
  
  This is exactly what the 7Spsy course was designed for, which will teach you how to cope with negative emotions, help you become an optimist and look to the future with joy. This is a patented method of behavioral psychology based on the theories of well-known psychologists I. P. Pavlov, B. F. Skinner, A. A. Ukhtomsky. It works directly with the cause of negative thinking, allows you to understand what led to its development, and get rid of it.
  
  Let's learn to be an optimist
  
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  7Spsy Behavior Change Technology work is carried out remotely, takes only 2-6 weeks and starts with problem diagnosis. Throughout the course, you will be supported by a professional psychologist, with whom you will be in touch online, by e-mail or by phone.
  
  The result of the 7Spsy method will be getting rid of pessimism and profound changes in thinking.
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