Tips for Staying Positive
Maintaining a positive mindset is about more than merely feeling good or having a “Kumbaya” moment. Sure, positive and uplifting self-talk is critical, but this topic goes incredibly deeper and takes hard work and consistency. We’ve all heard the story about the baby elephant being tied to the stake in the ground and not being strong enough to break free. Over time, the elephant grows to its full size, yet it has been conditioned to believe that it does not have the strength to break free from the stake in the ground. Our minds are the same way and we create these deeply rooted beliefs over time, whether those beliefs serve us or not. However, if we can intentionally program ourselves to think in terms of gratitude, abundance, and to see the “bright side,” we shall condition ourselves to live each day with a positive mindset.
If practice makes routines, and routines bring consistent results, we must practice conditioning our minds to think this way every single day to achieve a consistently positive mindset. Here are some ways to practice:
- Put your phone on do not disturb at the same time every night
- Wake up before the chaos
- Meditate, Pray, Read, Gratitude Journal, etc.
- Exercise
- Strategically manufacture your environment with books, podcasts, and uplifting online communities.
- Gain momentum by completing small tasks early in the day
- Embrace the love and connection with others
- Celebrate your wins
We live in a world where our phones are on us all the time and we are constantly checking them. With notifications going off all day and a rewards/validation based social media system, we are already programed to be distracted and have other people and outlets do our thinking for us. If you want to condition yourself differently, you have to fight back.
Put your phone on do not disturb at the same time every night so that you don’t have random notifications grabbing your attention when you are trying to rest. One notification can send you down the rabbit hole, and all of a sudden, 2 hours have gone by and you’ve been watching funny dog videos or you’re upset because you’ve just binged 2 hours worth of politically polarizing content.
Wake up early and give yourself time to be alone with your thoughts BEFORE the chaos of the world kicks in and your phone, email, and social media start blowing up. Read uplifting, thought provoking books or listen to podcasts with positive content. You must fuel your mind and soul before the toxicities of the day start creeping in. Think of it as a knight putting on his shield and armor before heading out into battle.
Exercise to get your blood and feel good chemicals flowing.
Momentum, purpose, love, and small wins, all contribute levels of dopamine into your day and will have you feeling on top of the world.
Stack the habits that produce natural dopamine and reap the benefits.
