When we’re going through a turbulent time, our goals and dreams haven’t progressed in the way that we’d hoped or we’re simply feeling lost or off balance, it can be easy to get sucked into a vortex of negativity which can make us feel even worse.
If you want to cultivate a more positive frame of mind below are 7 tips that can help:
1. Create a morning mind-set ritual
It is often said; how we start our day sets the tone for the rest of it. Creating a morning mind-set ritual can help you to kick start your day with energy and enthusiasm. There are lots of different ways you can do this, it could be by spending 10 minutes meditating and focusing on your intentions for the day, it could be listening to uplifting music or inspiring audiobooks which can put you in a good mood or by reciting affirmations. Whichever way works for you, when you create a morning mind-set ritual and start your day by focusing on the positives, you’ll have a higher likelihood of attracting more positive experiences.
2. Think ahead
Devoting 10 minutes of your time each evening to plan for the day ahead can make all the difference to how your day pans out. When you plan in advance you’re able to stay focused on your top priorities and feel a sense of accomplishment for reaching your daily goals which can boost your mood. Alongside planning out your daily activities another great way to ramp up the positivity levels is by creating a mental checklist of all the things that you feel excited about or are looking forward to, for example it could be catching up with friends, making headway on an exciting project or devoting some time to a much loved hobby. When you plan ahead you’re likely to start your day with a feeling of excitement and the momentum to get things done.
3. Track your thoughts
Often when we face challenges it can be easy for us to fall into old habits of negative thinking which can cause our thoughts to spiral downwards and impact our mood. Keeping track of your thought patterns and choosing to challenge negative thoughts rather than passively accepting them can help you to maintain control of your state. The next time a negative thought creeps up, challenge it, did that person really do anything bad or are you looking for things to criticise? Is everything frustrating or is it just this situation? When you start to track your thoughts and counteract them with challenging questions you’re able to transform your thoughts into ones that are more supportive.
4. Tune out from the negativity
Politics, war, reality TV, soaps and celebrity scandals are a few examples of negativity that can plague our screens and if we allow ourselves to continuously get sucked into negative media we may focus our attention on fear based thoughts which can create feelings of anxiety, anger or sadness. Choosing to be mindful of the media that you’re consuming on a daily basis can help you to become more aware of the things that you’re focusing your attention on. Does the TV you watch leave you feeling uplifted or frustrated? Are you focusing on all of the bad things happening at any given moment or are you putting your attention on the things that you have control over changing? The more you tune out from the negativity the higher likelihood you’ll have of focusing on the things that enrich your life.
5. Take part in a random act of kindness
Whether you’re volunteering your time, donating some clothes to the charity shop, sending someone a thank you note, giving up your seat on the train, doing someone a favour or simply choosing to do something thoughtful, small gestures of kindness can make the world of difference to others. When you focus on helping others you’ll also draw your attention away from your own worries which can help you to shift your perspective. What random act of kindness could you take part in today?
6. Create an action plan
When we’re feeling directionless it can quickly lead to a lack of motivation or get up and go which can leave room to focus on feelings of resentment or bitterness. Looking at the possibilities of what you’d like to achieve can help you to think forward and move your focus away from where you aren’t, to where you’d like to be. When you think ahead you’re able to identify what you’d like to achieve and create an action plan of steps you can take to make it happen. Getting clear on what you want can help you to feel motivated to take action and create positive change. If you’re struggling to get clear on you next steps working with a life coach is a great way to move forward.
7. Document your daily wins
Getting into the habit of making a list of your daily wins can help you to focus your attention on your daily highlights so that you can give yourself a pat on the back and maintain momentum. The more we focus on the steps that we take each day to make positive changes to our lives the more likely we are to stay motivated in reaching our goals. Having a record of your daily wins is also a great way for you to reflect on everything that you’ve achieved over a longer period of time.
Cultivating a positive mind-set isn’t an overnight process but if you’re determined and committed you have the power to create positive changes in your life. I’d love to know which tip you found useful, let me know in the comments below!
The Coaching Academy was established in 1999, and is now the world's largest coaching school.
In that time we have trained over 14,000 people to become life coaches.
We are accredited by the International Coach Federation and the Association for Coaching, and we're rated 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
