Come up with Ideas to Turn Negative Thoughts into Positive Thoughts.
At any given point in our lives, we’ve watched in bewilderment how great leaders and innovators maintain a seemingly unshakable positive outlook on life, no matter what setbacks they face.
See the positive side, the potential, and make an effort. — Dalai Lama
Being skeptical about all the “new age” ideas about how you can suddenly go from a realistic or negative mindset to a positive one by saying affirmations, or journaling, or any of the other fads that don’t seem to change anything is also a perfectly normal feeling.
But beyond the skepticism, the Mayo Clinic has published that these health benefits may all be linked to positive thinking…
Increased life span.
Lower rates of depression.
Lower levels of distress.
Greater resistance to the common cold.
Better psychological and physical wellbeing
Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress.
Michelle U’s study on combating negativity is summarized in the ten points below:
Meditate or do yoga.One of the first things I did was head to a yoga class. It took my focus away from my thoughts and brought my attention to my breath. Yoga is also very relaxing, which helped ease my mind. Yoga helped me stay present to my experience so instead of jumping to what could happen, it brought me back to the now—the only moment, the most important moment.
SmileI didn't do much of this during the weekend, so I literally had to bring myself in front of a mirror and force myself to smile. It really does help change your mood and relieve stress. I also felt lighter because it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown.
Surround yourself with positive peopleI called a friend who I knew could give me constructive yet loving feedback. When you're stuck in a negative spiral, talk to people who can put things into perspective and won’t feed your negative thinking.
Change the tone of your thoughts from negative to positiveFor example, instead of thinking, “We are going to have a hard time adjusting to our living situation,” think, “We will face some challenges in our living situation, but we will come up with solutions that we will both be happy with.”
Don't play the victim. You create your life—take responsibility.The way I was thinking and acting, you would think I was stuck. Even if our living situation becomes unbearable, there is always a way out. I will always have the choice to make change happen, if need be.
Help someone.Take the focus away from you and do something nice for another person. I decided to make a tray of food and donate it to the Salvation Army. It took my mind off things and I felt better for helping someone else.
Remember that no one is perfect and let yourself move forward.It's easy to dwell on your mistakes. I felt terrible that I acted this way and that I wasted our weekend. The only thing I can do now is learn from my mistakes and move forward. I don’t want to have a weekend like that again.
Sing.I don't remember lyrics very well and it's probably the reason that I don't enjoy singing, but every time I do sing, I always feel better. When we sing, we show our feelings, and this provides an amazing stress relief.
List five things that you are grateful for right now.Being grateful helps you appreciate what you already have. Here's my list: my cats, health, a six-week trip to Asia, a new yoga class that I'll be teaching, and for my mom's biopsy coming out clean.
Read positive quotes.I like to place Post-it notes with positive quotes on my computer, fridge door, and mirror as reminders to stay positive. Also, I'd like to share with you a quote by an unknown author that was shared in a meditation class that I attended:Watch your thoughts; they become words.Watch your words; they become actions.Watch your actions; they become habits.Watch your habits; they become your character.Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
14. Work on Visualizations.
Ever fantasized that you’re a lean, mean fighting machine, with Churchillian speech-making talents, winning charisma, and superhuman willpower? If so, then you have already tapped into the tool that can help you get there in real life. Mental imagery—the kind that involves imagining success—has long been employed by professional athletes to boost their strength, confidence, and results. (Arnold Schwarzenegger imagined his biceps to be mountain peaks as he pumped iron.) But the technique is good for more than just sports. “Everyone can use imagery to prepare for all kinds of situations, including public presentations and difficult interactions,” says Daniel Kaddish, Ph.D., a psychologist in New York City who guides clients in mental imagery. Research has shown that surgeons, musicians, and business executives have used it to focus and to improve their performance.
Big or small, goals give us purpose and, like a compass, keep us headed in the right direction. — Frank Niles
In laymen’s terms, it means recreating all the images, sounds, and feelings in your mind surrounding an activity to practice in a perfect environment – just like the small dojo where Morpheus and Neo fight in the movie. It may sound hard, but let me prove to you that you can do it. Take a couple of minutes to close your eyes and imagine yourself going to the kitchen and getting a cup of coffee. Try to imagine every detail, even the smell of the coffee. Were you able to imagine the cup of coffee? Maybe you were using your favorite cup and that awesome coffee brand that you love. You may even want a cup of coffee right now. That’s how visualization works. Don’t worry if you didn’t catch all the details; just like any other skill, you need to practice. However, it is worth the time it takes to learn it.
Visualization is simple, but it requires you to practice often to get the best results out if it. Just follow the steps and enjoy the process:
Relax: Take a couple of deep breaths, let go of all the tension, and close your eyes. It works even better if you find a quiet spot where nobody will bother you. I do it right before I go to bed.
Start imagining the environment: Let’s say you want to play guitar. Start by imagining your guitar, the shape, then the strings, the thickness of each string, until you have a clear and defined picture of your guitar.
Third person view: Now imagine yourself coming closer to the guitar. Look at your hands and slowly add detail to the image. Look at how you sit and hold the guitar, always trying to add as much detail as possible.
First person view: Feel the guitar in your hands, feel each string, and focus on the sound that each string produces. Allow yourself to start playing, just as you would do in practice with the same exercises. Imagine yourself playing through the whole set without failing or stopping, just as if you were an expert.
Wrapping it up: Allow yourself to slowly come back. You completed your practice and the image slowly fades. When you feel ready, open your eyes again.
15. Think of Ways to Turn Visualization into Action.
Practice makes perfect; the honed man is the man who owns it. Powerful
