If you feel that you hold onto negative thoughts and they are stopping you from achieving what you want from life, then the good news is that this is in your power to change, a positive mindset is something you can work on and develop!
Research has shown that we have 6,000 to 60,000 thoughts a day and 80% of these can be negative thoughts and also a lot of these are repetitive. How many times have you had the same thought over and over until it wears you down?
I’ve come to believe a positive mindset is essential to dealing with life’s ups and downs, but it is not something that comes naturally to me, I have been a glass-half-empty kind of person and wondered at those that always seemed to be really positive. But over the past few years, I’ve come to find ways to turn my thinking around and I’m all the happier for it, so I wanted to share some things that I do and have learned along the way.
Celebrate successes!
Stop, pause and congratulate yourself on doing something that was out of your comfort zone. Not many women do this because we simply downplay when things go right for us and we quickly move on to the next thing! We tell ourselves ‘it’s only…’ ‘anyone can do that…’ But remember what effort it took you to do it and be proud of yourself.
These small wins will help you get a boost of energy and over time can help you become more positive about your achievements, but only if you recognise them as such.
Positivity is contagious!
When you surround yourself with positive people, their energy rubs off on you! Conversely, if you have friends and family that always complain and see the negatives, that also rubs off, so be aware of the company you keep and how they make you feel.
Set some boundaries so if you need to be with negative people, do it for a limited time and make more time for the people that make you feel good, and remember to share the positivity back, what goes around comes around!
Plan for fun!
It may sound strange to plan for fun, but in a world where we have so much going on, it’s important to do something you enjoy. We all juggle work, family, kids, housework, etc, but taking some time out to enjoy yourself will leave you feeling great, so ask yourself are you consciously making time for it?
Even if it’s a bubble bath once a week, catching up with friends, or going out-out (now that we can!). Find out what makes you feel good and schedule it in your diary, tell your partner or family and then protect that time!
Gratitude
Practicing gratitude on a regular basis is one of the best ways to appreciate what you have and become more positive. You can do this in any way you like, some people prefer writing and keeping a gratitude journal, others like to say things they are grateful for in prayer or out to the universe. Whatever you choose, pick a regular time in the day for a few minutes and think about all the great thighs you have in your life. Search for gratitude prompts on the internet if you start running out of ideas!
I hope this gave a little insight into how working on your thoughts can help you to have a positive mindset and be happier. In coaching sessions, I work with my clients to use positives as a basis for achieving their goals and they end up transforming their thinking and consequently live happier lives. Contact me if this is something that you feel would be beneficial for you.
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Coaching has a wonderful place to help people achieve their goals, it’s future-focussed and we do work on mindset to help you reach your potential, but if there are more emotional issues or past trauma that is affecting you then I would support you to seek a therapist. If you’re unsure then please speak to me.