POSTIVITY SPECIAL...... Drive out negativity 

POSTIVITY SPECIAL Drive out negativity





With theses 11 mind hacks you can motivate yourself to a positive outlook

Without even recognising it, negativity can become a part of our everyday lives. It's easy to find yourself in a cycle of dreading work, being unhappy with relationships, and negative selftalk. Not only does negativity make life less fun, it also has a significant impact on your overall well-being. Stress takes a toll on your body, often leading to high blood pressure or a weakened immune system. Similarly, having a pessimistic or negative outlook may cause you to have a lower quality of life and decreased overall health.

On the other hand, positivity has any number of wonderful influences on day-to-day life.One study found that it reduces your risk of catching the common cold. In addition, it may also increase your lifespan and help you to cope when you experience hardship. These 20 strategies seem simple, but putting them into place can make a world of difference in your life.Be patient with yourself as you make these changes. Negativity can be a difficult habit to break, but the results are definitely worth it.

1 LISTEN TO YOUR SELF-TALK

The things you tell yourself have a world of impact for your outlook on life. This strategy forms the basis of cognitive behavioural therapy, a common psychology treatment for mental health.Pay attention to your self-talk, and notice when you are telling yourself negative things. Only after you recognize your areas of need are you able to start making changes in your life.

2 CHALLENGE NEGATIVE SELF-TALK WITH POSITIVE TRUTHS

Once you notice your thought patterns, it's time to change the ones that are negative or untrue.Write down the lies you tell yourself on paper or on your phone. Then, write out at least three responses to these negative beliefs that challenge their mes sage. Next time you notice a negative thought process, use a prewritten response to change it to something truthful and positive.

3 AVOID THE WORDS “SHOULD“ AND “CAN'T“

The way we phrase our thoughts has a huge impact on our mental state. Using the word “should“ is often guilt-laden and then it's difficult to find excitement for a task.Instead of saying, “I should go for a run,“ consider saying, “I want to go for a run“. Similarly, the word “can't“ sets your mind up for failure. So, instead of “I can't clean the house,“ use “It will be difficult to clean the house, but I'll try.“

4 HAVE A MANTRA

Choosing a mantra is a very personal choice. A mantra is any phrase that reminds you of what's important, that you turn to when times are hard. This may be a piece of poetry, a religious excerpt, or a quotation from someone you admire. No matter what you choose, have the mantra somewhere visible until you have it memorized. You could even set the mantra as your phone's background until you have it memorised.

5 ASSUME THE BEST

It's very easy to assume the worst about a situation, another person, or yourself. Unfortunately, when you go into a situation and expect the worst, it can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you go into every situation assuming the best about what will happen, it's surprising how often everything works out!

6 MEDITATE

Meditation sounds intimidating, but it's actually a very simple (and useful) cognitive strategy for improving positivity! Even if you're very busy, a meditation session can be as short as a minute. Take a moment to breathe deeply and consciously release stress. Once you take a moment to meditate, you will be able to go back to your work with a renewed frame of mind.

7 BREAK BIG PROBLEMS INTO SMALL PIECES

When you are facing a problem that seems impossible, it can be difficult to even know where to begin. Take the time to break the problem down into tiny, accomplishable tasks. Then, focus on one task at a time. Before you know it, you will have solved your problem with very little stress or negativity.

8 SET GOALS

Goal setting is one of the easiest ways to ensure that you maintain a positive outlook. Goals give you something to work towards, which can keep you moving forwards even when you don't feel motivated. In addition, meeting a goal (no matter how small) gives you a feeling of accomplishment, encouraging you to set another goal in the future. However, only set goals that are achievable and measurable -impossible goals are discouraging.

9 LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE

Some problems are definitely life changing, and I don't want to make light of them. However, for other problems, think about the impact that they will have on your life in a month or year.When you think about the big picture, you realise that no matter how the situation turns out, you will be okay.

10 LISTEN TO MUSIC

Science has found that music has incredible influence on the brain and emotions. For this reason, consider making a relaxing music playlist for hard days. Listening to songs that you find soothing or positive can be a great way to subconsciously help your mind move away from negativity.

11 LIMIT YOUR TO-DO LIST

In today's crazy world, it's easy to end up with a never-ending to-do list. While this approach is helpful to ensure nothing gets forgotten, it can also be daunting. Try to prioritise three to five key to-do tasks for each day. Instead of looking at a never-ending list, you can feel a sense of accomplishment when you have completed them. After getting these key tasks out of the way, if you accomplish anything else on your to-do list, it's a bonus -not a requirement.

Briallyn Smith

ARTICLE appeared on Makeuseof.com