The Power of Positive Thinking
Many people come to me for help in finding ways for them to shift their thinking to to thoughts that are positive. The power of positive thinking can and will change and improve your life. Maintaining positive thinking will lead you to success and happiness in both your personal and professional life.
The following tips provide practical suggestions that you can use to help you shift into more positive thinking patterns:
Remind Yourself of the Things You Are Grateful For – Stresses and challenges don’t seem quite as bad when you are constantly reminding yourself of the things that are right in life. Taking just 60 seconds a day to stop and appreciate the good things will make a huge difference.
Detach From Negative Thoughts – Your thoughts can’t hold any power over you if you don’t judge them. If you notice yourself having a negative thought, detach from it, witness it, and don’t follow it.
Squash the “ANTs” – In his book “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life,” Dr. Daniel Amen talks about “ANTs” – Automatic Negative Thoughts. These are the bad thoughts that are usually reactionary, like “Those people are laughing, they must be talking about me,” or “The boss wants to see me? It must be bad!” When you notice these thoughts, realize that they are nothing more than ANTs and squash them!
Practice Lovin’, Touchin’ & Squeezin’ (Your Friends and Family) – You don’t have to be an expert to know the benefits of a good hug. Positive physical contact with friends, loved ones, and even pets, is an instant pick-me-up. One research study on this subject had a waitress touch some of her customers on the arm as she handed them their checks. She received higher tips from these customers than from the ones she didn’t touch!
Increase Your Social Activity – By increasing social activity, you decrease loneliness. Surround yourself with healthy, happy people, and their positive energy will affect you in a positive way!
Volunteer for an Organization, or Help another Person – Everyone feels good after helping. You can volunteer your time, your money, or your resources. The more positive energy you put out into the world, the more you will receive in return.
Use Pattern Interrupts to Combat Rumination – If you find yourself ruminating, a great way to stop it is to interrupt the pattern and force yourself to do something completely different. Rumination is like hyper-focus on something negative. It’s never productive, because it’s not rational or solution-oriented, it’s just excessive worry. Try changing your physical environment – go for a walk or sit outside. You could also call a friend, pick up a book, or turn on some music.
The power of positive thinking is life changing. It will help you to be more optimistic and hopeful. Positive thinking is something that everyone can acheive with practice and at times, help from others.
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