Having a positive attitude is important in life as well as it is equally important for positive mental health. It makes you a nicer person to be around, makes you more popular, and just makes life easier. But let’s be honest here, staying positive is not always easy. In this article, we will discover ten tips for maintaining a positive attitude.
Table of Contents
How to Keep Positive Attitude
1. Write a journal
If I need to give some advice, I almost always include ‘start with a journal’ of some kind, and this article is no different. But in this case, I’d like you to think about a gratitude journal. There are so many things for you to be thankful for, especially if you live in a developed country. In fact, writing a journal is one of the top tips for building positive mental health.
Everything you need to be a success, you have in your country. Good internet, public transport, online education, amongst many other things. We should be thankful for everything we have and remain positive that we have everything we need to succeed.
2. Treat yourself every day
Keeping a positive attitude is easier if you can spoil yourself a little each day. Now, you don’t need to go crazy and spend a fortune. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t need to cost much money at all.
People with positive attitudes tend to be busy people, whether that’s because of their work-life or private life. If that sounds like you, take a timeout every now and then. Go for a walk and have a coffee. Catch up with some old friends you haven’t seen for a while.
3. Have a morning routine
Maintaining a positive attitude means having a morning routine. Actually, having a whole-day routine is better but if you don’t have one, at least have a routine for your mornings. Also, having a morning routine is one of the tips to improve mental health all by yourself.
Getting up in the morning and starting strong is a great way to keep positive. Doing some exercise, having a shower, leaving enough time to a proper breakfast are all important to starting your day in a more positive manner.
4. Look forward to something
I love being excited about the future so I try to have something to look forward to not just in the distant future but also in the near future. You don’t need to look forward to something big like a birthday or a holiday.
For example, while I’m working in the morning, I look forward to popping out for a mid-morning coffee. If I am busy, I’ll also have a mid-afternoon coffee somewhere outside. If not, I’ll look forward to an early finish and time with my family.
5. Practice meditation
I’m a big fan of meditation. Meditation has so many benefits that I’d need a new article to tell you all about them. However, let me name a few. First of all, you don’t need to spend a lot of time doing it and, maybe, more importantly, you can do it almost anywhere.
Meditation helps reduce stress and relieve anxiety; that’s just a few of the benefits of meditation on mental health. Decreasing these two means that your blood pressure comes down so you’ll feel healthier. And because of just those three things, you’ll feel more positive and optimistic. Not bad for half an hour of meditation each day.
Related: 11 Benefits of Meditation on Mental Health
6. Focus on the small picture
Many people will say that if you focus on the big picture and don’t sweat the small stuff, things will seem easier. Personally, I think that’s nonsense.
The big picture can often overwhelm and leave people feeling numb. I’m a big fan of walking towards the big picture through a multitude of steps. It’s easy to keep a positive attitude when each new success is just a step away.
7. Listen to music
Do not slump down in front of the television if you’re not feeling positive. Whatever people may think, TV is a mind-numbing drug that rots the brain. Plus, once you start, it’s quite difficult to stop, especially if you’re not that fussy about what you watch.
Additionally, there was a study a few years back that found that your brain is more active during sleep than it is while watching TV. That alone should persuade you to switch off your TV.
8. Exercising is great
What’s great about exercise is not that it makes you physically fitter so you’ll have a longer, healthier life, although that a big positive, of course. But what I mean is that exercise is also great for the mind.
Most people have heard of endorphins but most people may not know that they help maintain positive feelings. In fact, endorphins are similar to morphine in that respect.
9. Listen to audiobooks
If you spend a lot of time traveling, don’t waste it listening to music, listen to audiobooks. Personally, I love them. I am a huge fan of Brian Tracy and his audiobooks. ‘Eat That Frog’ is one of my favorites as are ‘Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life’ and ‘’Speak to Win’.
Of course, if you have your own favorite motivational speaker, then listen to them. Listening to positive people is a great way to maintain a positive attitude.
10. Be appreciative
Finally, there is no better way to keep a positive attitude than by spreading your appreciation around. There was an experiment many years ago that showed that smiling at people who aren’t smiling makes them smile.
The same is true for all emotions. They say you should surround yourself with the people you want to be. Pessimistic friends will make you more pessimistic, optimistic friends, more optimistic. Give away your positivity to others. It will make them more positive and you too.
And there you have it. Having a positive attitude in life is so much more fun than being a negative ninny but it’s not that easy to maintain that attitude. Still, like marriage, trying to remain positive requires constant effort. However, the benefits make it all worthwhile, so keep your chin up and stay positive. You won’t regret it.
Related: 10 Ways to Overcome Low Self-Esteem
