This post may contain affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. This is at no extra cost to you. I only ever recommend products and services that I love and that I think you will love too.
I’m so pleased to welcome Jen from Diffusing The Tension who wanted to share these amazingly practical ways to focus on the good in your life.
I personally took a lot away from this post, I’m sure you will too 🙂
Over to you Jen.
All you have to do is watch the news for two minutes these days, and you can see why it’s hard to see the positive. The negative stands out like a huge splash of red on a white canvas.
We’re inundated with stories of:
- Political divides
- Deadly pandemics
- Families torn apart by tragedy
- Religious squabbles
- Hate crimes
[tweetshare tweet=”“We all want to be loved. We all want to feel accepted. We all want to feel content. And life is hard.” – Hayley Kiyoko” username=”alisonw30″]
It’s clear that nobody wants to live a life filled with negativity.
After all, it makes you feel awful.
It makes you withdrawn, and depressed, and anxious, and difficult to be around. I don’t know about you, but I want to live with joy and excitement about the future and hope.
If that sounds like you, then keep reading to check out these 5 tips to help you change your mindset, focus on the good and add some more positivity to your life.
How Can You Focus On The Good Things?
When you’re surrounded by negativity, how can you begin to change? How can you think more positively and focus on the good?
I’ll be honest, it’s not easy. It’s simple, incredibly simple. But it’s not easy at all.
It takes a lot of time and dedication. You have to make the commitment right now to change.
Let’s try an exercise really quick. Repeat after me.
.
“I will change my mindset going forward, and commit to focusing on all the good things in my life”.
.
Did you say it?
Good. Now write it down.
Writing things down has a lot of power.
Tape it in a place of prominence so that you can see it anytime you need a reminder.
1. Learn To Challenge Negative Thoughts
.
The first step in changing your mindset is learning to challenge negative thoughts.
I put this step first because I think it’s the most important. You have to learn to tackle these thought patterns head-on if you ever have a hope to change.
For this, I love the cancel-cancel method.
It is a little corny, I’ll admit, but I think it is a great tool. This is how it works:
- Negative thought arises. Example: “I will never be good enough for my partner.”
- Cancel cancel. Say that phrase, “Cancel cancel.”
- Immediately introduce a positive thought. Example, “I am good enough and worthy of love.”
.
It won’t get rid of your negativity habit immediately.
It will take time, likely months of doing this for it to take effect.
But it is a simple exercise you do (for free!) that will start to chip away at your mind and mold it into what you want it to be.
2. Surround Yourself With Good People
.
It’s not possible to be a positive person when you’re surrounded by energy vampires.
What is an energy vampire?
They are a person who is draining to be around. They make friendship something akin to the Emotional Olympics.
An energy vampire is constantly negative and filled with nothing but drama.
You might not realize how many of these people are in your life, but it is more common than you think. They might even be really close to you, like a parent or sibling.
If you’re having a hard time figuring out if this applies to someone in your life, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I leave our time together feeling tired?
- Am I now thinking more negatively than I was before I saw them?
- What is their negativity to positivity ratio?
These are important things to consider in the people we spend time with. If you’re friends with an energy vampire, it’s time to limit your exposure to them.
I know that’s not easy, but it can be as simple as saying, “I love you, but I think I need some space. I begin to think too negatively after we spend time together, and it’s beginning to affect my emotional health.”
.
Image by Enrique Meseguer from Pixabay
.
3. Begin To Develop Better Habits
.
Your habits are vital to your mental health.
It’s impossible to change your mindset when everything else in your life is falling apart.
Here are the most important habits I think that everyone needs to live a happier life.
Start with one or two of these, and you will find focusing on the good things a little bit easier.
- Daily physical activity
- Eating more moderately
- Consuming less alcohol
- Drinking more water
- Develop better sleep habits
- Connect with others regularly
- Practice gratitude daily
- Live a life of kindness and empathy
Which of these do you struggle with the most?
That might be the best one to start working on!
For even more good habit ideas check out The Ultimate Good Habits List For A Happy Life
4. Unplug More Often
This one is hard, I’ll admit, but I think it’s incredibly helpful.
Our social media feeds are filled with people we love, yes, but often they are filled with content that just serves to indulge our negative thinking.
Pay attention to how often you spend scrolling social media sites, and make a commitment to yourself to cut that time down.
You don’t have to get rid of Facebook altogether, but it’s beneficial to spend less time mindlessly scrolling.
What can you do instead?
Delete the apps off of your phone and only check notifications when you’re on your computer.
Hide/unfollow/unfriend/block whatever friends make you feel the most negative.
Don’t go on social media before bed. Give your brain time to peacefully wind down before it’s time to sleep.
These three pieces of advice have helped me immensely!
.
.
5. Get Better Sleep
Sleep isn’t everything.
What’s more important for your mental health are the things you do when you’re awake.
Still, getting adequate sleep is very helpful for developing a clear mindset and feeling a little better.
How can you sleep better when you’re overwhelmed by anxiety and negative thinking?
Follow these 5 steps and I bet you will get great sleep in no time:
- As I said, turn off social media at least an hour before bed.
- Try not to nap if you can help it. Nap if you absolutely need to, but I find I sleep better if I did not nap that day.
- Try to be more active during the day. This will help you not to feel as restless at night.
- Don’t drink as much alcohol or caffeine.
- Try some relaxing stretching or meditation before you get into bed.
How Often Do You Think A Negative Thought?
Begin to take a mental inventory and get to work.
Like I said, it’s not easy. But the steps to make the attempt to focus on the good are very simple.
Incorporate them into your daily lifestyle, and you might be surprised at the changes you see.
.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
What is the most negative thought you find yourself thinking?
You CAN change your mindset and focus on the good things in life, even when it feels impossible.
About The Author
.
.
Jen (the writer behind the blog, Diffusing the Tension) lives in Northwest Indiana with her husband and two children (ages 4.5 and 3).
She has bipolar disorder and frequently writes about her experiences with that.
In her spare time, she is OBSESSED with true crime. She is also a bookworm, TV junkie, and fitness nut.
You can follow her on
Twitter- @jvan3610
Instagram- @diffusing_the_tension
Facebook- Diffusing the Tension
Pinterest- @diffusingthetensionblog
Her blog- www.diffusingthetension.com
Patricia P
Great tips! I’m a glass half full gal. When I was told I had cancer, I said to myself… “well… this is happening… hunker down and fight!” And I fought and I won. I used these positive tips you posted about, along with following my oncologists advice. I think a positive attitude is key to a healthy life.
Alison
Excellent, I’m so glad to hear you won your fight 🙂 You’re right, a positive attitude is so important.
Olivier Devroede
The strange thing about your cancel-cancel method is that it actually works. Since I work in IT, I use a different method, where I visualize grabbing the though with my mouse and then bringing it to the recycle bin on my main screen.
Looks stupid, I agree, but it does work however.
Alison
I love that idea! I’m going to try it 🙂