Do you have trouble maintaining a positive mental attitude day-to-day? As Carole King once crooned, “You’ve got to get up every morning with a smile on your face and show the world all the love in your heart.”
But it isn’t such an easy task to approach each day with a positive mental attitude. There are so many pressing responsibilities that drain your energy and chip away at your patience and steal the little free time that you used to enjoy. Sometimes, putting a “smile on your face” hardly seems worth the extra effort.
Fortunately enough, positivity is like a muscle. The more that you train it, the stronger it grows. When you exercise your optimism and adopt a sunnier perspective in times of stress, finding your happy place becomes a more manageable proposition — not just another platitude.
In this article, we’ll detail five tricks you can use to introduce a bit more light into your life!
1. Practice an Act of Kindness Every Day
It doesn’t haven’t to be something big and expensive! A simple show of kindness can be enough to improve your self-esteem. Hold the door open for the person behind you, assist an old lady across the street or offer a friend help with a project. Anything counts as long as you’re putting good into the world.
Start a notebook to jot down these small acts of service, giving each no more than a sentence or two of description. It can serve to cheer you up and make an overall difference in the way you choose to see things. After all, the way you view things is a choice!
2. Be Conscientious of Every “Thank You”
Too often we go through our day delivering a mechanical “Thank you,” to the people who make our lives easier. And though it’s better than saying nothing, an empty show of appreciation has no real value. People can always sense authenticity, so show some self-awareness!
Every time you say “Thank you,” say it like a person and not an automaton. Take a second to recognize the generosity of others with genuine gratitude. You’ll notice just how often we say “Thank you” every day and might feel a little more thankful as a result.
3. Ditch the Whiners, Complainers and Worriers
No matter how hard you fight to maintain a positive frame of mind, if you surround yourself with people who have a negative outlook, you’re running in place. Forward progress demands that you cut ties to any people who aren’t on the same wavelength. This is admittedly tough.
Self-care encompasses many things, but it starts with a healthy environment. Immersing yourself in a place where you feel safe, respected and free to voice your opinions will reflect in your perspective. Finding new friends who support you may be daunting — but they’re out there and can’t wait to meet you!
4. Keep Your Home and Workspace Clean
A cluttered room is a good indicator of a cluttered mind. Many people report an improvement in their mental clarity when they clean their home or workspace, so why not give it a try? In addition to a clearer head, a clearer desk will help you minimize stress and maximize efficiency.
Returning day after day to a growing mess is enough to demoralize anyone. The time you take to clear up your dishes, sort through your laundry, make your bed and mow the lawn is time well spent. Moving forward, handle clutter as it happens so it won’t build up.
5. Take a Mental Health Day From Time to Time
We all get worn out sometimes. It happens to even the most enthusiastic go-getters among us. When you feel the pressure is just too great to handle and you think you might explode, take a mental health day to work through your issues and decompress.
Call into work, rent a movie and get that tub of ice cream from the fridge. People depend on you to take care of yourself, so if you’re out of commission for repairs, they’ll understand. Knowing this is an option can contribute to a positive mental attitude.
Go Make Carole King Proud!
Don’t just grin and bear it. Grin and wear it. Take the techniques listed here and put them to good use so that you can be a good you!
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