How to Always Maintain a Positive Attitude

Have you ever noticed someone around you who always manages to find the good in everything? If you want to become a more optimistic person, recognize the small steps you can take to bring about significant changes to your worldview. By identifying and transforming negative thoughts about yourself, you'll cultivate a positive mindset. A positive perspective on life will improve the way you handle painful or negative circumstances.

Make Positive Affirmations. Every day, remember the qualities in yourself that you admire and respect. Over time, you'll begin to feel more positive about yourself, as these affirmations have a motivating effect on your spirit. These affirmations also encourage you to love and care for yourself more, making you ready to fight against any negative thoughts. Examples of positive affirmations include:

• I am capable and fully equipped to accomplish everything today.
• I have the power to overcome this tough situation and turn things around.
• I am strong and resourceful, I will keep going.

Write About Your Positive Traits. Use positive affirmations to create a list of virtues you see in yourself. Ask yourself what you love most about yourself and write it down. You can also include skills or achievements you're proud of. For instance, you might write "resourceful," "capable," or "completed my education."

• Refer to this list to remind yourself of your good qualities. Reading it daily will help you truly internalize positive thoughts about yourself.

Do What You Love. It’s easy to fall into negative thinking when you’re not enjoying what you do. Maybe you're overwhelmed by work or family life. Dedicate some time each day to doing something that brings you joy. This could be as simple as having coffee with a friend or soaking in a bath after a long day.

• Studies show that doing things that make you smile can help alleviate emotional pain.

Recognize the Importance of Confidence and Gratitude. Building self-confidence and self-esteem is a form of positive thinking about oneself. Numerous studies show that gratitude brings a sense of happiness and boosts your self-worth. Gratitude also enhances your positive feelings toward others and reminds you of the good things in life.

• Gratitude is also linked to higher levels of compassion, helping you connect more deeply with others.

Mindful Meditation. Instead of meditating to clear your thoughts, focus on being fully present in the moment and becoming fully aware of your experience. Find a quiet, comfortable space to spend time focusing on your thoughts. This practice will improve your mindset and make you feel more prepared, both of which help you maintain a positive state. Remind your mind to stay still and focus only on your thoughts, moment by moment.

• Researchers have shown that mindfulness can reduce stress. This state of awareness improves positive thinking by reducing anxiety, bad moods, and the energy drain from stress.

Practice Deep Breathing. Start by focusing on your breath. Pay attention to the emotions and sensations in your body as you inhale and exhale. Force yourself to be aware of what's happening around you. When breathing with thoughts, use your senses to notice what you're seeing, hearing, and feeling in the room or space around you. Ask yourself if your body feels tired, relaxed, or tense. Observe your thoughts and emotions.

• Deep breathing is a great way to recall the things that consume your thoughts and most affect your emotions throughout the day.

Try Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Consider working with a therapist trained in CBT. This therapy will help you change your current thought patterns. Since thoughts strongly impact your worldview, start transforming negative thoughts into positive ones. To do this, you need to pay attention to your thoughts. Catch yourself when a negative thought arises and shift it to something positive. For example, if you're waiting for a bus, appreciate the time you have to relax or chat with someone else who’s waiting.

• It can be helpful to write down your thoughts and change them. For example, you might write about a negative thought (e.g., disliking driving in the rain) and turn it into a positive one (e.g., an opportunity to practice driving in the rain more).

Write About Your Goals. Part of positivity is having a sense of hope for the future. Setting goals is a great way to focus on what’s ahead. Your self-esteem will also be boosted when you achieve these goals. To increase your chances of success when pursuing your goals, ensure that these goals are:

• Written down (Studies show that written goals are more detailed and have a higher chance of success)
• Specific
• Realistic
• Created with a timeline or deadline
• Expressed in a positive way

Have Realistic Expectations. While maintaining a positive attitude all the time sounds great, you need to be realistic with yourself. There will be times in life when you simply don’t feel positive. In fact, certain situations may make you feel genuinely sad or frustrated. However, you can use a positive perspective to face those painful emotions and bring yourself to a sense of hope or acceptance.

• For example, if you lose a pet, you will likely feel sad or upset. Yet, you can still use positive thinking to remind yourself of the moments you cherished with your pet. Alternatively, you can use positivity to remind yourself that this painful time will eventually pass.