People with positive mindsets enjoy greater happiness and success in their lives, have healthier relationships, and are better at handling stress. Fortunately, there are various positive thinking activities to memorize.
Positive thinking is not something you are either born with or don’t have – it is something we can learn and strengthen through practice! These positive thinking activities will help you do just that!
1. Focus on the positive
Positive thinking is an effective way to combat negative thoughts and feelings, without trying to deny what’s happening or turn a blind eye to it all. Instead, positive thinkers use positive imagery as a guidepost and approach problems more pragmatically – taking proactive steps toward happiness and success that ultimately result in happier lives.
One of the easiest positive thinking activities is simply focusing on what’s good in your life. One way of doing this might be writing down or repeating positive phrases throughout the day – this simple activity forces your brain to engage the regions associated with positive words and concepts, making it easier for you to use them when needed in real-life scenarios.
Reframing negative situations can also help promote positive thinking, like when feeling anxious before giving a work presentation or getting stuck in traffic, rather than viewing them as obstacles to overcome or as reasons to study for an exam. You could use such moments of boredom as opportunities to practice public speaking skills or study for exams instead of seeing it as something frustrating to endure.
Positivity can do wonders for your physical well-being. Studies have demonstrated how thinking positively reduces stress hormone levels, which in turn may contribute to serious illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. Furthermore, positive thinking may strengthen your immune system, protecting you against sickness or fatigue.
If you’re struggling to think of positive ways to handle an unfortunate situation, seek advice from others. While some activities such as teaching children and teenagers how to be more positive may work well for adults as well, you could even print off and hang up some positive thinking quotes around your house or workplace to remind yourself about the power of positivity.
2. Take a moment to breathe
Positive thinking requires keeping things in perspective and not dwelling on negatives; this does not equate to dismissing or dismissing challenges; rather it means looking for positives and seeing how to improve situations for future development.
Breathing deeply is an effective way to restore our mental equilibrium, and anyone can practice it! A great technique when feeling overwhelmed or frustrated is simply to close your eyes and count to 10, inhale four counts before exhaling four counts, repeat as needed and breathe normally again.
An engaging way to foster positive thinking is recognizing all the good in your life and why they matter; for instance, receiving an encouraging compliment from a friend can turn a dull day around! Have students create a “thought filter” so that they can track positive moments throughout their days and how these thoughts may have an impactful result.
This activity can be implemented easily within small groups and works particularly well during guidance lessons or your SEL curriculum. Have 3-5 people fill out cards with one of their typical negative thoughts before shuffling and reading one to the group at random, taking turns disputing it with more constructive statements.
Positive thinking is an integral component of living a healthy lifestyle and can help us manage stress, stay happy, and boost our well-being. Although negative thoughts may take hold quickly, with dedication we can change our perspective and start taking positive steps!
Diet, exercise, and rest are essential elements of leading a healthy lifestyle, yet sometimes finding time for them can be hard. Even more so when trying to incorporate positive thinking into our daily lives. That’s why these positive thinking activities can be such a relief – quick, simple exercises with long-lasting effects on mental well-being that become second nature with practice – leading you on an easier journey towards living a happier, healthier lifestyle!
3. Write down your thoughts
Writing things down can help when you feel overwhelmed or distressed, helping you process your thoughts and emotions and identify where these issues may be impeding progress. By taking this step, writing will enable you to take proactive measures against these thoughts that might be hindering progress or creating problems in your life and take appropriate steps for change.
If you find yourself thinking “I can’t do this”, write it in one box, and in the adjacent one write out what the main obstacle is that prevents you from reaching your goals. Doing this allows you to break down this thought while simultaneously addressing all associated goals and challenges independently.
If you find yourself using negative words such as “no,” “can’t,” and “won’t,” try replacing them with more optimistic language instead. Not only will this alter your verbal vocabulary but it may help open your brain up to receiving new thoughts and ideas.
Visualizing negative thoughts and emotions is another effective way of dispelling negative ones. One study had participants visualize an event or circumstance which made them angry and then ask what steps they would take to solve it; participants who took the most steps towards solving their problem focused on what could go right rather than on potential failures.
Positive thinking is integral to living a fulfilling and meaningful life, yet maintaining it can be challenging at times. These positive thinking activities can help you break out of any funk you might be in and get back to enjoying your life again.
Use these tools to train your brain to be more positive and build greater self-confidence, which will make success in both career and personal relationships easier. Use them regularly so you can stay on track with your goals while enjoying an increased sense of well-being!
4. Take a walk
One of the best activities to help foster positive thinking is taking a walk, which allows you to clear your mind, relax and discover something new. Listening to music can also help enhance your mood; conversing with family or friends about any subject helps reinforce positivity and help keep a good perspective.
Walking can provide an ideal opportunity to identify those “awe moments.” Think back over your day when something enthralls or inspires you; these could include moments found in nature, art exhibitions, or listening to music. As you practice finding these “awe moments”, more and more will appear in your life – it could even become social activity by going with a friend or making it part of family traditions! To increase the challenge further you could set a goal like covering a certain distance within one month or taking part in charity walks!
When negative thoughts begin to surface, try focusing on your breathing to redirect them away from you. Take deep breaths, counting to six as you inhale and exhale. Repeat several times throughout your walk and observe how this activity helps change how you perceive your surroundings – mindfulness practice will aid your positive outlook! This simple activity will also help foster positivity as an invaluable way of staying positive!
Reading can also be an excellent way to promote positive thinking. Grab any book that sparks your interest and learn something new, or read memoirs of those overcoming challenges or remaining resilient against obstacles. Walking, talking with family and friends, writing, or listening to music are also all great ways to stay positive and improve mental wellbeing.