You’re The Boss!

Many people feel overwhelmed by life stresses. Life is even more difficult when you think negatively, because that affects your mental, emotional and physical states and drags them down.

If you start to practice positive thinking, it stops the downward slide and allows you to focus on what you are accomplishing now. You are able to give yourself credit for your strengths, and that starts to boost your self-motivation and happiness. You start to see progress and spend less time depressed and anxious.

The following tips will help you create a foundation for positive thinking and help you shift your patterns:

1. Take Good Care of Your Basic Needs:
Eating nutritious food, daily workouts and good quality sleep automatically help you to be more positive.

2. Write a Daily Gratitude List:
Take a few minutes a day and write down five things you are grateful for. You will be in an appreciative state of mind, and your problems and stresses will seem much smaller.

3. To Think a Thought Makes it True for You:
If you have a suspicion that your co-workers are talking about you, or you believe that someone is upset because of something you did – STOP! You don’t have any evidence of that, and just because you are thinking it doesn’t mean its legitimate. If you have a concern, ask those involved. Otherwise you’ve wasted valuable time worrying over a figment of your imagination.

4. Avoid Absolutes:
I’m sure you’ve told someone that they “always” or “never” do something. Absolutes tend to escalate situations, and make your brain believe that trusting that person leads to disappointment. People are so varied and rarely live in one extreme or the other.

5. Release Negative Thoughts:
If you notice a negative thought creeping up on you, don’t bite. Say “Cancel,Cancel”, think a new positive thought and let the other just go. Don’t react to them.

6. Squish the “ANTs”:
Dr. Daniel Amen wrote a book titled “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life”, in which he talks about ANTs, or Automatic Negative Thoughts. These are usually the thoughts that just seem to ‘pop’ into your head, like “My co-workers are whispering.It must be about me,” or “I have a meeting with my manager – she’ll probably fire me!” When you become aware of these thoughts, just squish them!

7. Benefits of Squeezin’:
Most everyone likes a gentle hug. If you need an instant pick-me-up, get a hug or go pet your poochie. You sure don’t need to be a researcher to know that hugs are beneficial.

8. Engage in New Social Activities:
You will meet new people, learn new things and broaden your understanding of life. Make sure your new friends are happy so their energy will affect you in a good way.

9. Volunteer:
Your sense of self-esteem skyrockets after you help someone via your money, resources or your time. The good karma you send out will come back to you ten-fold.

10. Stop Chewing Your Worry Cud:
Tony Robbins calls it a ‘pattern interrupt.” Basically if you find yourself thinking the same thoughts over and over in a loop, go do something different immediately. Go for a walk. Dance to your favorite song. Sing to your favorite song. Read the comics page. Call a friend. The hyper-focus on the same thoughts is obsessive and not results oriented. It’s excessive worry, and we know that’s useless.