How Do We Think Positive

Let’s take a look at some tangible ways we can flip our thinking from a general negative outlook to a positive outlook, harnessing the power of neuroplasticity and our ability to change the way our brains work.

Affirmations

Note the running inner-dialogue you have going throughout your day. Is it something like “life is hard and nothing is going right”? Flip that script and begin repeating the opposite to yourself. “Life is effortless and the things that are for me will go right.” (Or whatever the opposite is for your personal running inner-dialogue.) As we repeat these positive affirmations, we begin forming and solidifying neural pathways in our brains until eventually, the brain travels down that pathway without consciously thinking about it. It becomes our reality because we’ve taught our brain that it is so.

Meditation

Meditation gives us the power to reconnect to our bodies, clear our minds, and gain new perspectives. “Dropping in” to our deeper knowing can help us see a situation differently, download new information, and literally strengthen our brain. It also helps manage stress and anxiety, two things that can directly lead to a negative outlook. (Like positive thinking, meditation also has many physical health benefits.)

Gratitude

Building a gratitude practice into our daily routine helps us begin to notice all of the good, until it becomes natural. Spend 5 minutes in the morning and another 5 minutes at the end of the day, and jot down everything you’re thankful for. No matter how small, trivial, or materialistic it may be, write it down. This will eventually become a habit and gratitude will become second nature. With gratitude, comes positivity.

Today, commit to putting intentional work into building up your inner-dialogue into a more positive, optimistic place. Your body, mind, and spirit will thank you.