What is Positivity?
Positivity involves maintaining an optimistic outlook on life. It means being cheerful and hopeful, even when you are facing challenges. Positive people look for the good in every situation and are grateful for what they have. They tend to see the glass as half-full instead of half-empty.
Being positive doesn't mean you never feel negative emotions or struggle with pessimistic thoughts. Everyone has days when they feel down or discouraged. The difference is that positive thinkers don't let their negative emotions control them.
They don't dwell on their problems but instead focus on finding solutions. They don't get caught up in negative thoughts and always try to look on the bright side of life.
Benefits of Being Positive
There are many benefits to being positive, both mentally and physically. Some of the most notable benefits include:
-
Better mental well-being: Positive people tend to have better overall mental health. They're less likely to experience anxiety or depression. They are also more resilient in the face of life’s challenges. During difficult times, being more positive can help create a buffer against the negative effects of stress.
-
Increased happiness: Positivity is also linked to greater happiness and subjective well-being. Positive people can find joy in their daily lives and are not as easily affected by stress or negative emotions.
-
Better physical health: Research suggests that being more positive is associated with better physical health. Positive people are less likely to die from cardiovascular problems and live longer than their pessimistic counterparts.
-
Stronger relationships: Positive people are less likely to have conflicts with others and have healthier, more fulfilling interpersonal relationships.
How to Be More Positive?
Fortunately, there are strategies you can do to gently guide yourself toward becoming more positive in your daily life. If you want to be more positive, there are a few things you can do.
-
Practice Gratitude
Make a list of things you're grateful for. Write in a gratitude journal and jot down a few things that made you feel happy or grateful. These don’t have to be original or earth-shattering observations—they could be something as simple as a beautiful, sunny day or your cat nuzzling against your hand while trying to work.
-
Savor Anticipation
Find something to look forward to each day. Research has found that having something positive to look forward to helps to improve mood and reduce stress.
Whether visiting your favorite bookstore, enjoying a cup of coffee with your friends, taking an evening walk in the park, or reading your favorite book, make sure to find something to look forward to each day. This will help keep you positive even when things aren't going your way.
-
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice that involves fully focusing on the present moment, including your thoughts, sensations, and environment. It can have a variety of benefits, including improving your awareness of your thoughts and moods.
When you're feeling stressed or overwhelmed, take a few deep breaths and focus on the present moment. Notice how your body feels and what sounds you can hear. Once you learn to identify your thoughts, you can then work to actively replace negative thoughts with more positive ones.
-
Smile
Even if you're not feeling happy, forcing yourself to smile can actually make you feel better. Smiling helps release chemicals in your brain that make you feel happy and relaxed.
Researchers have found that not only does smiling help induce positive feelings, it also helps people view the world from a more positive point of view.So next time you're feeling down, try smiling for a few minutes and see how it can help you feel more optimistic.
-
Use Positive Self-Talk
The things that you say to yourself influence how to think about yourself and the world, and self-criticism is bound to undermine your ability to look on the bright side. Researchers have found that switching from negative self-talk to positive self-talk can help improve emotions and reduce stress.
Characteristics of Positive People
Being positive doesn’t mean only thinking happy thoughts all of the time. Even the most optimistic of people experience sadness, discouragement, and anger. However, positive people generally have the following characteristics:
Positive People
-
Optimistic
-
Grateful
-
Finds solutions
-
Helpful
-
Compassionate
-
Happy
-
Upbeat
-
Humorous
Negative People
-
Pessimistic
-
Ungrateful
-
Ruminates on the problems
-
Unhelpful
-
Apathetic
-
Unhappy
-
Cynical
-
Serious
Leave a comment
All comments are moderated before being published.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.