Who here is guilty of ditching positive thinking occasionally?
Everyone? That’s what we thought!
Life’s pressures can make it easy to forget about the good things.
Here’s how to use positive thinking skills to see the bright side of life.
Re-think a situation
Your day isn’t going to plan. There is no way that you are going to get to half of the things on the to-do list, and you have just received a call from school asking you to pick up your child because they are unwell. There goes your grand plan!
As frustrating as days like these can be, it is important to try donning the rose-coloured glasses. Use positive thinking to focus on what you could do instead.
You now have an opportunity to watch a movie with your child, get to a task at home, or even squeeze in some down time! Reframing a problem as an opportunity is a great positive thinking tactic to help you see the bright side.
See the bright side at work
By adopting a negative attitude at work, you will quickly find that you are unhappy in other areas of your life as well – we can’t just turn off the grumpy switch once we get home.
Everyone has worked with a miserable co-worker at one point or another. And, at least some days, we are all guilty of being that negative co-worker ourselves – even if we have a darn good reason to be down!
How does your day tend to go when you are on with the who acts like they have lost a limb when there is a paper jam in the printer? It’s never pleasant, we bet!
Work isn’t always fun. But the reality is that it has to be done. If something goes wrong, take it in your stride. Use positive thinking and laugh it off. Not only will seeing the bright side keep those around you in good spirits, but also make the day fly by in a flash!
Fake it ‘til you make it
Sometimes positive thinking is all too hard. Sometimes you just want your tantrum time. Oh, to be a toddler again!
Even when a smile is the last expression you can muster, get those cheeks into gear and plaster on a grin. Smiles are contagious – if you smile at someone, they will smile back at you. Pretty soon the smiles you are producing won’t be fake. Pretty soon your spirits will begin to lift. Pretty soon you will see the bright side.
Laugh
Like smiles, laughter is contagious. Better yet, having a good ol’ belly laugh pumps up your endorphins, and can quickly remind you of the good in life. If you are feeling blue, rent a comedy movie, have a wine with a friend or do a goofy activity with your children that is sure to have the lot of you in hysterics.
In short, turn positive thinking into positive being!
And if all else fails, check out these laughing yoga classes. Yes, we’re serious – these people surely have embraced the bright side!
The Clarity Road Team
