Positive Thinking

Positive thinking is definitely something that I struggle with sometimes and I know I am not the only one. I think everyone goes through a time in their lives when everything feels pretty crappy and they can't escape feeling so down. Lately I have realised that life is tough and things aren't easy, but there are so many amazing things that we need to appreciate in life. Sometimes it is hard to find these positive thoughts, but it takes time and training your mind to think a certain way. Here are my tips to positive thinking that help me on a day to day basis.

★ Wake up with a positive thought

It is so easy to wake up in the morning and groan about the upcoming day. It is often hard to get out of bed and all you want to do is wrap yourself up and hide. Starting the day with a positive thought or affirmation will make a huge difference to your mood. A thought you might have could be, "today I am going to achieve something new" or even thinking "I feel healthy, happy and grateful today".

★Regular exercise and get fresh air

A lot of people recommend yoga as a great form of exercise to stimulate positive thinking but any exercise is useful. Exercise releases endorphins in your body, making you feel oh so good! This is a proven fact and exercise will make you feel happy, refreshed and energised. Fresh air also makes you feel refreshed and gives some life back to your body. It could be as simple as having a cup of tea in the morning outside or going for a quick walk with your dog. It will make a huge different to your mood.

★ Surround yourself with positive people who appreciate you

People can be toxic and it is important to eliminate this negativity from your life. If your friends don't make you feel happy or confident in yourself, then you need to address this issue. You can either confront your friends about it or move on from the friendship. When one door closes, another door will always open. You need to do what makes you happy and surround yourself with people who will support this.

★Take responsibility

To be a happy, positive, confident and independent individual, you need to take responsibility for your own actions. Sometimes we are not always right and it is ok to admit this. You can't act like a victim 24/7. We can always make a choice to change our actions, behaviours and mood. Take responsibility for your mood and know that you are the one person who can change it. For the better.

★Find happiness in the smallest things

To put it simply: do what makes you happy. Find something that you love and let it blossom. This could be anything. It might be reading, writing a blog, going to the flower markets, going for a run or anything number of things. You need to support and grow your own happiness. 

Making a conscious effort to be positive and change the way you think will change your outlook on life. Life is not perfect and things do get hard, but find the light in the dark. 

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” 

Abraham Lincoln