7 Ways to Change a Bad Day Using Positive Thinking By the world going so fast and constantly changing these days, it can sometimes seem quite hard to keep that positive view of things. Between all the responsibilities tugging from every direction, overloads of information on a continuous basis, let alone ups and downs, staying optimistic can seem out of this world. But a positive attitude is not confined to those select few. It can be forged into habits and ways of thinking which can be developed day after day.
Here are seven actionable, real ways to help you stay positive each and every day, no matter what life hurls your way. Each strategy reframes thinking, creates positive habits, and helps you navigate the ups and downs of life with more optimism and grace.
1. Begin Your Day with Positive Intentions
As the saying goes, the way one starts their day tends to be the way it is going to continue. Setting up a good intention in the morning is one of the most powerful ways to build a positive mindset that can get you through difficult times and knocks you down. Conscious choosing in a morning to be grateful, calm, and optimistic sets your psychological frame up in such a way that you are more able to cope with stress and negativity.
Why Positive Intentions Work:
It means that once you start off your day bright, then you are starting to program yourself to look at the good in everything. This helps one stay focused, centered, and calm in case challenges come your way. Setting positive intentions can make an energy shift for you as you approach your day with purpose and clarity.
Recommendation:
Take a minute or two each morning and state an affirmative intention of what you want for the day. That can be as general as “I will approach today with gratitude and calm,” or “I choose to focus on the good in every situation.” Write them out, say them aloud, or reflect on them in a quiet space. Setting intentions every morning is a small yet effective way to build positivity from the get-go.
Bonus Tip: Put a notebook beside your bed and make it a ritual every morning to write down what you intend. This way, you will start training your mind to think positively, and actually take some time to reflect on what counts.
2. Avoid Negative Media
We live in a society where we are constantly bombarded with information from every angle-much of which is either negative or makes us anxious: daily news, social media posts, and even some shows on television. The continuous negativity you are exposed to does indeed have an effect on your mood and dampens your spirits to be upbeat. You will notice that the less you expose yourself to media, the more you can help your mental health by reducing stress and being more optimistic.
Why it’s important to limit negative media:
That’s because negative things are contagious, and the more we open ourselves up to them, the greater the chance of becoming negative. Continuously reading bad news, depressed people, and online drama will eventually affect one with feelings of helplessness, stress, and anxiety. The time freed from negative media makes room for more positive influences to take over your mind.
Action Step:
Learn to set boundaries with the use of media. That means setting a limit on scrolling time spent on social media, setting a reading or watching limit on daily news, or taking regular breaks from all digital devices. Be aware of how you feel from the media and make adjustments to protect your peace.
Bonus Tip: Instead of tuning into the news or immediately checking your phone when you wake up, flip that and create a paradigm shift to do something uplifting that inspires and motivates you. This could be reading a motivational book, mindfulness meditation, or calming music.
3. The Affirmation Magic
Affirmations are positive statements taken in to recondition one’s mind in order to surmount self-doubt, negativity, and fear. Daily affirmations embed into one’s brain new neural pathways that reinforce the windows of positivity, optimism, and confidence. Affirmations are an easy tool to put into place, yet powerful to make a change of mindset and keep one positive, even amidst challenges.
Why Affirmations Work:
Our thoughts are our reality. Through the process of consistently giving ourselves positive, empowering statements, we will certainly believe and act and feel differently because of them. Affirmations counteract negative self-talk with more positive, uplifting thoughts that help raise your mood and raise your overall outlook.
Action Step:
Practice affirmations throughout each day: out loud in the morning, in a journal, or to yourself in your mind during the day anytime you need a little “pick-me-up.” Here is a sample to get you started:
“I can handle anything that comes my way.”
“I will choose to see the good within any given situation.”
“I am worthy of love, success, and happiness.”
Bonus Tip: Make a personal list of what works for you in affirmations. Then, plaster them everywhere-on your mirror, desk, and even phone background-as reminders to stay positive.
4. Celebrate Small Wins
It’s very easy to get caught up in big goals we set, but if the only thing we’re worried about is long-term outcomes, then the grind of day-to-day can easily become overwhelming. Celebrating small wins along the way is a powerfully easy way to stay motivated and keep a positive outlook. It shows you that you really are moving forward and helps to keep your focus on what is going right.
Why Small Wins Count:
The small wins build momentum. With every acknowledgement of something well done, you are infusing confidence and motivation. Over time, these small steps add up to provide that sense of accomplishment that will help to fuel positivity and resilience.
Takeaway
Whether it be the completion of a task, the working at a project, or merely surviving a hard day, develop in yourself the tendency to celebrate at least three minor victories per day. It is a practice that reminds one that at least progress is being made at those times when everything seems challenging.
Bonus Tip: Keep a “win journal” in which you write daily what you have accomplished, no matter how minor. It will remind you later how much distance you covered and help keep you headed in the right direction.
5. Move Your Body Regularly
Sports have widely been considered among the most effectual ways of maintaining a good mood. The brain, after any form of exercise, releases endorphins, which are chemical substances produced in the body to reduce the levels of stress and uplift an individual’s mood. Be it in the form of brisk walking, exercising in the gym, or even stretching, movement liberates the mind and perhaps leaves one feeling uplifted with boundless energies.
Why Movement is Key:
It is excellent, not only for physical health but also provides amazing benefits for mental health: there is less anxiety, less stress, and you may feel so much more centered and grounded through regular physical activity. All in all, movement shifts energy; it becomes easier to stay positive throughout the day.
Pro Tip:
Aim for at least 20-30 minutes each day. It doesn’t have to be strenuous, just that one moves from a walk to yoga, dancing, anything. The key is in finding something you really enjoy, and thus it is a reward rather than a chore.
Bonus Tip: Couple the movement with other positive habits. You may listen to motivational podcasts or affirmations while you walk or exercise.
6. Practice Self-Compassion
Well, being positive does not mean that you have to be happy or bubbly all the time. Sometimes, life can be overwhelming, and there are those days when you may be down or make mistakes. Self-compassion involves being kind to oneself, considering that life may be hard. Rather than beating oneself up for not being “positive enough,” it gives one permission to take one’s feelings as they come without judgment and to treat themselves in a kind and merciful way when needed.
Why Self-Compassion Matters:
Self-compassion-when one does things he later wishes were differently done-decreases feelings of shame, guilt, or inadequacy. You allow yourself to accept your imperfections and understand that it is okay, sometimes, to have bad days. Self-compassion opens doors to letting self-care and emotional healing in, helping you cultivate a more positive outlook.
Strategy:
Next time you are feeling down or judgmental against yourself, stop for a moment and speak with yourself the way you would with your best friend-reassuring and showing empathies. Let yourself know that it is all right to have negative feelings; they do not mean anything about your mindset in general.
Bonus Tip: Include mindfulness or meditation in your self-compassion practice. Mindfulness will help you to observe your thoughts and feelings without judgment; this way, if things are going not so well, it will be easier to be kind with yourself.
7. Solutions, Not Problems
It is easy to get caught up in the circle of preoccupation and frustration by zeroing in on problems when they arise. A turn-around can occur when a person focuses on finding solutions to reestablish a sense of control and maintains the attitude that allows him or her to stay positive. In this manner, one challenge may become an opportunity to grow and become resilient.
Why Solution-Focused Thinking Works:
What solution-focused working lets you do is take action even when the circumstances aren’t easy. You still may start to think about what you can be doing that may help improve matters and not continue to be preoccupied with what’s wrong. That in itself can give you the sense of being in control, rather than feeling overwhelmed by the challenge.
Practice:
Next time something goes wrong, immediately brainstorm ways you can resolve it. Even if the solution is not ideal, taking an action will get you away from that helpless feeling and keep you moving forward.
Bonus Tip: When you are brainstorming solutions, do not be afraid to think outside the box. Sometimes the best creative solutions come from viewing a problem from a completely different perspective.
Conclusion: Positivity Is a Daily Choice
However, it takes deliberate effort being positive each day, but it is well worth the benefits derived thereof. You can cultivate a positive mindset to last you through ups and downs in life by setting up positive intentions early in the day, limiting negative media, using affirmations, celebrating small wins, moving your body, being self-compassionate, and focusing on solutions. Each of these techniques further exemplifies that it is not positivity if one is not facing problems or behaving as if everything is all right, but it is a conscious choice of how one responds to the circumstances that life hurls at them and nurtures their mental and emotional well-being.
Once these seven keys are integrated into your daily life, you will find your thoughts differently oriented. The challenges will still come, but then you are able to be gracious and optimistic, resilient against their onslaughts. Keep in mind, positivity is a choice you have to make each day, and every day comes with another opportunity to flip that choice in your favor.
Final Key Takeaways:
Positive Intentions: Bring clarity and a sense of purpose into each new morning.
Limit Negativity: Safeguard your inner space by limiting negative media.
Positive Affirmations: Program your mind to think positively via daily affirmations.
Small Wins Count: Improvement is improvement no matter the size.
Moving Your Body: The physical act of exercise is very important in maintaining an uptick in mental perspective.
Self-Compassion: Be gentle with your soul as you would with your best friend.
Solution-Oriented Thinking: Move away from problems toward solutions, and focus on what is in your control.
Building up these habits puts you into that state where you always remain positive, energetic, and focused on what is really important. Being positive is a continuous practice, and just like any other habit, the more you engage yourself in it, the easier it gets. Until finally, you will find yourself persistently positive so that nothing can stop you from going about anything that comes your way.