“Keeping Positive” sounds so simple, yet can be so challenging. Many factors affect our mindset, and current events can make it more difficult than ever to be positive. Life factors range from workplace conflict, family issues, and friendship concerns to global crises. Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in a negative mindset and hard to find your way back to positivity. Here are some tips to help you keep positive.
Lifestyle Choices (Nutrition and Physical Activity)
Proper nutrition and consistent physical activity are two key components of living with a positive mindset. This is something I often recommend, as do many therapists, as an addition to consistent psychotherapy. Consistent physical activity fuels the body with endorphins (the “happy hormones”) and produces enough for the long-term, and a consistently positive mindset. Physical activity can vary from LISS (Low-intensity steady-state) exercise to HIIT (High-Intensity interval training). Any form of physical activity that helps move your body in a safe and healthy way will do the trick. It doesn’t matter what form of exercise you choose; as long as you’re moving safely and consistently, you can reap the benefits.
Nutrition also aids a positive mindset. Eating a balanced diet rich in nutrients plays a major role in maintaining mental clarity and physical and mental health. However, sometimes people can go too far in controlling diet and exercise. This will exhaust our bodies and brains, lead to a crash, and extinguish our commitment to nutritional and physical health. Balance is the goal. We can engage with food that is good for the body, and some food that is good for the soul. Happy bodies and brains, lead to a happy and more positive mindset.
Mindfulness
This is a very familiar term used in the mental health field, but it can be easy to lose sight of what it means. Mindfulness is a conscious state of being present in the here and now. It is so common to get caught up in our thoughts of worrying about what will happen tonight, tomorrow, or six months into the future; or concerned and replaying something that happened yesterday or years ago. These patterns keep our minds from being present in the moment and can trigger anxiety.
Many people might hear “mindfulness” and think it can only be achieved through meditation. This is not the only way to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness can be any activity or thinking habit that will bring our minds back to being in the moment. It can be an interest, hobby, or activity and it can range from arts and crafts or cooking to journaling, or amateur sport. No matter what you are doing, you keep your focus on actually doing it.
If you find it difficult to practice mindfulness even through interests and hobbies, practicing your awareness of your physical senses can be helpful. One very useful grounding activity that can help bring yourself back to the moment is the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 grounding exercise. Either say aloud, or write down, five things you can see, four things you can feel on your body, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. I like to follow this by taking five deep breaths.
Grounding activities such as these stop thoughts of past and future from breaking in because you are focused on your five senses. Remember that practice makes permanent. Consistently practicing mindfulness will develop a strong skill that you can utilize in moments of feeling neutral and in moments of experiencing stress. As we learn to live in a more consistent state of mindfulness, a positive mindset will naturally follow.
Self-Care
What does self-care truly look like? There are so many components to self-care that sometimes it can be easy to neglect some forms of it. Self-care includes personal hygiene, balanced nutrition, exercise, or practicing mindfulness. All these are extremely important.
However, self-care can also include knowing when to decline invitations and setting boundaries with friends, family, and loved ones. It can be easy to say “yes” to things you might not want to do in order to make someone else happy. Although we want to be supportive of close people in our lives, it is important to remember our own needs. Sometimes saying “no” to others, means saying “yes” to yourself to allow you to take time to regenerate, work on personal goals, and take time for yourself to move towards a positive mindset.
Support
Being able to lean on yourself and make yourself accountable for self-care is a fantastic goal. However, sometimes it can feel very challenging to start on your own. Reaching out for support when you need it is one of the most important things you can do. Support can include close friends, family, loved ones, and mental healthcare professionals.
Being able to lean on someone for support or mild forms of accountability can be a great stepping stone to practicing self-accountability. It’s important to recognize when you might need more support. It’s also important to know when the support you need may exceed what friends and family can offer. Connecting with a mental healthcare professional can offer more support and guidance to uncover what may be clouding your positive thinking, and how to work towards optimal mental hygiene. Taking that first step to reach out for support may feel daunting, but can make a world of difference in how you achieve your own positive mindset.
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