Easy Ways To Cultivate A Positive Mind

Enough has been said over the years about optimism and positivity and how they can make life an enjoyable adventure. A new recent study has also shown that positive thinkers had a significantly lower risk of dying from leading causes of death, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, infection, and other respiratory infections.

Positive thinking also helps lead a better quality of life, with higher energy levels, better psychological and physical health, faster recovery from injuries or illness, fewer colds, lower rates of depression, better stress management, coping skills, and a longer span of life.

But it always seems that developing a positive mindset is challenging, especially if you are pessimistic or assume the adverse outcomes of a given circumstance. So to help you out, here are some simple ways to develop a positive mindset in 2023, according to life coaching and mind experts.

Allow Yourself To Feel Negative Emotions

Stop listening to what everyone has to say. Instead, focus on what you should think only. Trying to feel positive all the time or trying to perfect yourself means preventing yourself from being human. We, as humans, are designed to handle the full spectrum of positive and negative emotions because they have value, meaning, and guidance in life.

So the first step to cultivating a positive mindset is not seeing the good in every situation. Instead, allow yourself to feel and acknowledge the negative emotions freely. This will let you get over them quickly, lessen the intensity of the feeling without dwelling on them and move on with a positive outlook on life. The more you bottle up or try to avoid, the more negative your thoughts will grow.

Practice Self-Compassion And Self-Care

We all have an inner voice that tells us what we are doing right and wrong. Never try to silence this voice. Listening and acknowledging these inner, deep, thoughts can help us make proper choices, improve self-compassion, and develop a positive mindset free from regrets and guilt.

Similarly, part of developing a positive mindset is believing that you are worth taking care of. Take breaks to feel good and engage in self-care. Taking care of yourself makes you feel good about yourself, allows discipline, and contributes to a positive mindset.

Shift Your Attention

Having a negative bias makes it easier to focus only on the negative side than focusing on the positive. Practicing your mind to shift your attention intentionally to the good stuff can move your mind from wandering around negative thoughts.

If your mind starts going into a rabbit hole or recalling something unpleasant that happened, try to put a pause on them. For example, distract yourself by going for a run, taking a cold shower, or even doing simple things like having a chat with your family. These will help you short circuit your negative thoughts and help you focus on the positive.

If you have constant negative thoughts or regrets that disrupt your daily routine or productivity, then it's best to first get help from a life coach or a counselor to make this easy for you.

Set Meaningful Goals

Having clear goals helps us understand what matters and what doesn't. It gives us the vision to keep our minds meaningfully connected to what we do and where we invest our thoughts. Make sure your goals fit with the core values of what you want or where you want to be in life. This can be setting meaningful goals related to career, relationships, health, fitness, or even improving your personality.

Since many of us start the new year by setting career goals, it is highly recommended to do it with the help of a professional like a career coach. That way, they will be able to give an action plan on how to get closer to your goals, keeping you positively engaged in life.

Spend Time With Positive People

Both negativity and positivity are contagious. So try to spend more time with people who will nourish positive thoughts and help you be optimistic. Have you seen someone having a bad day, or mood can dull the spark of everyone else? Likewise, a positive and lively person can have the opposite effect on you. Being around positive people can also improve your self-esteem and chances of reaching your goals more effectively.