Positive Mind, Happy Life

So, we've all heard of the greatness of having a positive attitude towards life. Towards situations. People. Anything really. But how? Every day we're faced with tricky moments that can trigger negative thoughts and once you're there it's hard to get yourself back on track of positivity. But there are a few simple guidelines that may help to either not let negativity take over or quickly tap into your awareness and feel positive. And with practice and time your positive outlook on life will be much more sustainable and effortless.

Try to look at the bright side

There is always something positive, or an opportunity, in every seemingly terrible scenario.

Simply take a moment to sit back and look through the dense black clouds to see the sun blazing brilliantly on the other side.

Before taking action, give yourself time to comprehend what's going on.

That brings me to my next point.

Slow down your life.

Live slowly

Don't run through life without stopping. Because it's mostly when we don't have time to press the pause button and reflect upon the situation to change our perspective to positive that we get caught up in negativity. Also, stress builds up unnoticed and you find yourself stuck deeply in a stressed negative mindset. When you live slower, eat slower, walk slower you allow your mind more time to process and to form a sustainable habit of positivity.

Live in a positive environment

This includes your home, your family, your friends, your workplace, your gym or yoga studio, the books, articles and newspapers you read or TV programmes that you consume, your neighbourhood and the community - anything that can affect you on a daily basis. Making sure these settings don't influence you negatively is key for your own positive state of mind. And this might mean that you need to reflect upon your relationships and friendships. Do they really serve you? Or are you just maintaining them for the sake of it. Or because of having been friends for a very long time. This is hard. Because it may mean that you come to the conclusion that some people just drag you down or trigger negativity. Once you've made an assessment of the people in your life you will want to slowly spend less time with the negative people and more time with the positive people.

Work on your fear

Being a rather negative trait fear can hold you back from forming new positive habits. Because change is never easy and fear is the reason why it's not. So if you try to be very mindful of your fears and try to get to the root cause it will lay a whole new foundation for a generally positive life.

Inspire others

Whenever you're faced with someone that seems to be stuck in a negative state of mind, inspire them with your positive outlook on the situation. Or just inspire people indirectly by cultivating your own positivity - you will be able to see the change and this in turn will be motivating for you to continue on this path. It won't work for everyone and everything. But you know that what goes around comes around, so you can trigger a whole ripple effect of positivity with just a simple smile.

Eat clean and move regularly

Living a healthy lifestyle can have a massive effect on your state of mind - believe it or not. Food supplies essential nutrients that keep our brain as well as our body healthy. And exercise relieves stress and keeps us fit. With a healthy, pain-free body and a strong focused mind you cannot help but feel full of life and positivity.

Start your day mindfully

Having a routine in the morning that helps you cultivate a positive mindset is key to a good day ahead. Not much will be able to throw you off that balance. This routine can include waking up early, writing in your journal, practicing yoga and meditation, taking time to prepare and eating a healthy breakfast and instead of taking the public transport, walk or cycle into work.

Let out some steam

There will always be situations or people that get under your skin and can affect your balanced mind. And that's perfectly natural and ok. The importantly bit is how you deal with it. Let it out and don't try to keep it inside, it will build up to grief and negativity over time. Speak with a good friend or write a journal. And once it's out you'll feel like weight has been taken off your shoulders and you have space to embrace positivity again.

Most important of all, live mindfully. Live in the moment. And breathe!