Throughout our lives, we are often told that we should all foster a positive mindset, which will help us to live better and more fulfilled lives. So, how exactly do we adapt our habits to start thinking more positively?
Let’s first take a look into what exactly a positive mindset is.
You may be tempted to believe that someone with a positive mindset simply ignores all the negative aspects of life whilst wearing rose-tinted glasses, however, this is simply not true. Positive thinking does not mean that you go through life with your head buried deep in the sand. It means that you approach life’s unpleasantness with a positive attitude and in a productive way.
Positive thinking is the practice of focusing on the good in any given situation, which allows you to approach both the good and bad in life, with the expectation that everything will be okay. It involves making the most out of a potentially bad situation and looking to see, not only the best in those around you, but also the best in yourself.
Positive psychologist, Martin Seligman, explains the difference between how pessimists view negativity, and how optimists view the same situations.
For example, a pessimist will tend to believe that they are the root cause of all negative events that occur in their lives, and that they will be affected by long-term effects from that event.
Whereas optimists, who are confronted with the same negative events, will perceive their misfortune in the opposite way. Optimists believe that defeat is only temporary, and its causes are confined to this one case. (Learned Optimism, 1991).
Optimism is the willingness to make an effort and take a chance, rather than negatively assuming that your efforts won’t pay off. And, once you acknowledge that things do not always turn out how you want them to, it becomes easier to accept the result.
With regular practice you will begin to notice how your outlook on life, and the events that occur around you, eventually become less critical. When your mind is generally more optimistic, you will be able to handle everyday stress in a more productive and positive way. You may not be able to change the world you live in, but you have the chance to change how you perceive it, and how you react. This will change the way you feel about others, as well as yourself and, in turn, it can have huge effects on your well-being.
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