Amidst the chaos of what is not working out, do you search for 3 great positive thinking techniques? Worrying about your past, future, and beyond makes you feel so overwhelmed, that you forget most of the things you may have achieved in your life. So, how do we look at the “other side” of the coin? For this purpose, let’s have a quick glimpse about the idea and concept known as positive thinking.
What is positive thinking?
Before moving towards exploring the 3 great positive thinking techniques, let’s look into what positive thinking is all about! Positive thinking refers to an intentional practice of focusing on optimistic thoughts and outcomes, where one emphasizes more upon the constructive, encouraging, productive or helpful aspects of situations. For instance, if you have made a mistake at work, rather than feeling tensed about all the things that could go wrong, positive thinking would involve focusing on the ideas and opportunities that can help you improve on the error and work together with your supervisor or manager accordingly.
It is to be kept in mind that positive thinking does not focus on ignoring your challenges or difficulties, it focuses more on approaching those scenarios with a helpful perspective, seeking ideas and solutions and maintaining a hopeful outlook. It is a fact stated through various studies that the way that each person thinks matters. People who think positively can solve difficulties effectively, while those who think negatively can experience bigger issues. Therefore, working through negative thoughts and shifting focus to positive ones in their place can equip people to overcome challenges in life efficiently.
The importance of having a positive mental attitude
It becomes important to cultivate a positive mental attitude which is a mindset characterised by optimism, hope, and a constructive perspective towards challenges in your life. Developing a positive attitude or moving with a growth mindset where you attend to working your way out of the difficulties or problems, approaching situations with the likelihood of achieving your targets and believing in your capabilities and abilities can make you move up the ladder rather than falling into the pitfall of a downward spiral. For instance, whether a person wins or loses the competition, acknowledging and celebrating the achievements and learnings irrespective of their size reinforces motivation for the person to move forward in their success.
Let’s look into some mental well-being tips by focusing on 3 great positive thinking techniques.
The 3 great positive thinking techniques
As much as we have explored the meaning of positive thinking and what is a positive attitude, let’s explore the 3 great positive thinking techniques that can help you move closer to the experience of increasing your resilience and coping abilities to face obstacles in life.
1. Challenging or Reframing your Negative thoughts:
While it is natural to experience yourself falling into the idea of “what is not working out for me”, reframing negative thoughts becomes your essential weapon. Reframing negative thoughts involves consciously changing the way you perceive and interpret situations to promote a more positive outlook. It involves identifying when the negative patterns occur (e.g. any failure, mistake, or critical feedback received that makes you question your ability), questioning the accuracy and validity of the negative thoughts by reflecting on evidence supporting or not supporting them, finding alternative perspective, the language you use with yourself (affirmations like “I am confident and capable” can be helpful) and embracing the learnings received from that experience. Reframing takes practice, however, over the course of time, it can become a habit that contributes to a more positive and resilient mindset.
2. Gratitude work
In the hustle and bustle of “what’s next”, we forget to show thankfulness to “what we possess”. Practicing gratitude involves appreciating every essence of what you have around you, and embracing the weaknesses and strengths you possess. By consistently integrating gratitude into your life, you can open the doors to a more positive attitude, especially to yourself. You can do so by keeping a gratitude journal where you list down regularly what you are grateful or, express your gratefulness through words or letters to your loved ones or take your own mindful moments of gratitude in the morning or before bedtime. An interesting strategy is to keep a jar of gratitude which helps you review and appreciate your experiences when we conveniently forget to do so, and maybe have some gratitude-showing rituals!
3. Visualization
Another powerful technique for fostering positive thinking is visualization. It mainly focuses on setting clear goals for yourself by focusing on creating an image of your desired outcome in your mind in a safe space. Visualization is a tool which if used regularly can help you align your thoughts and actions with your goals, promoting a positive mindset and increasing the likelihood of success. It enhances your ability to make it a reality.
Positive thinking is a skill that can be developed over a period with consistent practice, which is the key point here. The effectiveness of these positive thinking methods or positivity hacks, often lies in the consistency of its practice. The changes may not be noticed overnight, hence, integrating the 3 great positive thinking techniques into your daily routine can gradually contribute to a more positive and optimistic mindset.
3 examples of positive attitude
As much as we are focusing on the 3 great positive thinking techniques, it is important to move towards cultivating a positive attitude by reflecting and making a conscious effort to adopt a constructive mindset in various aspects of life.
Let’s look into a few examples that emphasizes the meaning of positive attitude:
De-personalising things you hear
There are times when the opinion of others, including your loved ones who you hold dear in your lives can be quite hurtful. It is important to provide yourselves gentle reminders of their words being theirs and not necessarily a reality for you. In simple terms, the words are the perspectives they have about you, which is not always going to be true. It is their perspective after all. The moment you start living upon the perception of others, you start giving them the wheel to drive your car of life. Hence, not taking it personally and letting it slide helps you to concentrate on your goals and be more focused on your positives.
Embracing self-compassion
Embracing self-compassion involves treating oneself with kindness, understanding and acceptance, especially in moments of difficulties or failures. It is not like you do not have the capacity to provide compassion to yourself, you do! You do it every time a friend is in need, you communicate to them how they have ‘achieved’ so many things in life when they are upset about not having done enough in their lives. The same care is what you need to redirect to yourself. To cultivate self-compassion, practice mindfulness, challenge self-critical thoughts and deliberatively choose kind and supportive language when talking to yourself. Developing self-compassion is an ongoing process that can lead to greater emotional resilience and well-being.
Changes in outlook and perspective
Sometimes, the way you see things also influences the impact it has upon you. Changing your perspective is a valuable skill that can contribute to your personal growth, improved relationships and a better perspective on life. For instance, instead of saying “I have to get home for dinner with family by 9 pm”, I choose to say, “I am eager and willing to get home for dinner with family by 9 pm”. The whole narrative changes from the act being a task that must be done to something you look forward to.
These examples highlight the definition of a positive attitude clearly. While we reflect on this, an important question pops into our mind: How can we put into practice the 3 great positive thinking techniques in our professional life? What is the significance of these strategies?
How can a positive mental attitude help you at work?
Maintaining a positive mental attitude can offer several benefits in the workplace.
- It opens doors for you that you may otherwise believe are shut forever.
- It helps in enhancing your focus, leading to an increased sense of productivity.
- It has been found that you are more likely to approach challenges with creativity through various optimism techniques which helps in facilitating effective problem-solving.
- Embracing a positive attitude also helps in expressing yourself better, providing better feedback to others and resolving conflicts in a more helpful and useful manner.
The list goes on and on, so in a nutshell, a positive mental attitude can positively impact various areas of your work, ranging from productivity, and problem-solving to workplace culture and interpersonal relationships.
Tips for Positive Thinking in the Workplace:
Being aware of the important and moving towards execution of the same, let’s investigate a few ways of putting the 3 great positive thinking techniques into practice at work:
Surround yourself with positivity
Seek out positive colleagues, engage in uplifting conversations, and build a supportive network. Positivity is often contagious.
Learn and Grow
View the setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth. Embrace challenges as chances to develop new skills and expand your capabilities.
Celebrate small wins
Acknowledge and celebrate your achievements, no matter the minor or major nature of it. Recognising even minor achievements can boost your morale and foster a positive mindset.
Positive self-talk
Monitor your self-talk and replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations. Encourage and motivate yourself with constructive language (e.g. it may look difficult, I trust you to do your best!)
Set positive and realistic intentions
Before setting a task or a meeting, set a positive and realistic intention. Focus on what you can accomplish, what is in your hands and what is not in your hands.
Practice mindfulness
Incorporate mindfulness techniques into your routine for a quick relaxation.
Maintain work-life balance
Strive for a healthy balance between work and personal life to take care of your overall well-being.
Promote a healthy environment
Rather than looking at it as a ‘race’, encourage teamwork, offer support to colleagues and normalise failures and successes as being part and parcel of life. Contribute to a culture of collaboration and positivity.
Overtime, these habits can become ingrained, creating a more optimistic and resilient mindset at work.
While you are making the effort of trying to create your own happiness strategies, it is important to remind yourself that one technique may work for some and may not be efficient for others, which is completely okay! You might want to focus on those strategies that help you experience the benefits of practicing positive thinking daily.
Conclusion
In conclusion, positive thinking is a powerful tool that can have a great impact on our lives. Even after practising a few techniques from your end, if you find yourself stuck in a downward spiral or want to learn how you can incorporate these strategies personalised for your life, you could benefit from some professional therapy and treatment.
It is okay to take your time with this! Enjoying the process becomes very important, so take your time to discover or rediscover this journey of embracing, experiencing and practising the 3 great positive thinking techniques in your life!