A positive attitude is a mental state in which the thinker habitually or purposely perceives situations without negativity. People with a positive attitude generally tend to be more optimistic and are more likely to believe challenging circumstances will end well, rather than dwell on what is wrong in the situation.
People who approach life with a positive attitude have a few advantages:
- Their belief that things will turn out ok allows them to look for solutions to a challenge, rather than give up, or deem the task or situation unresolveable.
- Positive thinking reduces stress.
- In positive work environments employees tend to take more interest in their work, have higher productivity rates, and form supportive relationships with coworkers.
How can you shift your thinking to be a more positive-thinker? Easy, practice thinking positive! Here are a few tips to help catch and reset your thinking style:
- Observe the emotions or feelings that come up when you have thought. Taking the time to mindfully observe how specific thoughts trigger an emotional reaction can give you a better understanding of how you are perceiving the situation. When breaking down your thought process, you might notice other factors to consider that you may have originally overlooked, misjudged, or exaggerated.
- When faced with an emotional response to a situation, stop and try to view the “Issue” or “Problem”, as a “Challenge” or “Opportunity” to overcome and grow.
- Do more of what you love. When experiencing joy, you’re more likely to crave “Feel-good” emotions. Another way to do this is to try and notice a negative thought immediately when you’re having it, then instead create a mental list of what you’re thankful for. Just thinking of things that make you happy has the power to shift your thinking in a new direction.