It?s good to Think Positively
Positive Mentality is all an attitude of mind. Get used to thinking positively and you, too, couold be jumping for joy.
MOST of the time we have a choice in the way we view a situation, even if we can?t control what is actually happening. Our take on an event, whatever it is, can influence the way we feel and then behave - this is often down to our attitude.
You won?t be surprised to learn that our attitudes towards certain things are formed very early on in our lives - as a result of our upbringing, our early experiences and the culture in which we live. But attitudes can be changed; they are not fixed forever.
Negative thinking
We all experience negative thoughts from time to time, when we are struggling with a new job, having difficulties in a relationship or, for example, worrying about finances. More often than not these thoughts are related to the particular situation, are time-limited and do not have a major impact upon our ability to function in day-to-day life. Negative thoughts are part and parcel of everyday life and are not normally a problem.
However, when negative thoughts become pervasive and all-consuming, taking over from any positive thinking, they can have a major effect on our mood and behaviour. Taking active steps to promote positive thinking can improve our daily mood and will stand us in good stead in times of greater life difficulties.
Self-awareness
The first step in any process of change is becoming aware of your current state. It can be helpful to keep a diary of your mood over a number of weeks and record the events that are happening around a time when your mood takes a dip and you feel more negative about things. What is going through your mind at these times? Are there any recurring patterns? Who is around and what are you doing when you feel more negatively?
Challenging the way you think
Once you have identified the thoughts that go through your mind when you are feeling negative, you are in a better position to address them. Ask yourself whether the way you thought about an event or situation was accurate. Did you take account of all the possible ways of interpreting a situation or event? What would a friend or colleague say about your interpretation? If someone sought advice from you about a negative thought, how would you respond to them?
Take action
Once you have identified your negative thoughts you have two options: either your interpretation is correct and you need to take action; or your interpretation is inaccurate and you need to address your thinking. Changing negative thinking is often referred to as ?Cognitive Restructuring? and is a large part of the psychological therapy termed ?Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?, which is used by a range of specially trained mental health professionals. However we can all examine our negative thinking and look for bias in the way we think. Examples include:
Over generalising from one event or part of life to everything about you. For example, ?I did not do very well on that test therefore I am a complete failure?.
Ignoring the positive ? we place too much emphasis on the one negative thing that happened and ignore the positive events beforehand. For example, ?The forecast says it will rain tomorrow, on the second from last day of my two-week break. That?s my holiday ruined?.
Blowing things up out of all proportion ? a relatively small negative event is blown up into something much more terrible. For example, spilling some coffee on your skirt equates to ?My day is ruined?.
If you realise you are doing any of these things, try to give yourself a more balanced perspective. For example, ?So I didn?t do so well on that test but I have done well on all the previous tests and I will do better next time. There are still lots of things that I am good at?. Or, ?So what if we get a little rain tomorrow, we have had almost two weeks of sunshine?. Or, ?Oh well, a good job my skirt is dark. No-one will notice and I have that lunch with the girls to look forward to later?.
If you feel your thinking is having a very detrimental effect on your mood and behaviour and you cannot address this yourself, you may need to see a professional. Consult your GP in the first instance. However, have a look at the following:
Actively maintain a positive approach
Being committed to what you do, taking control where you can, and challenging yourself appropriately can help you learn how to maintain a positive approach:
Be enthusiastic
Try to using positive enthusiasm to deal with things, rather than dealing with them because you have to or showing poor grace. You will feel better about doing things and others around you will feed off your enthusiasm.
Take control
Be proactive about the things that you can. They may not seem earth-shattering in the grand scheme of life, but you can at least influence them. Give yourself credit for the things you do manage to influence, no matter how small.
Challenge yourself
Take opportunities that come your way to challenge yourself a little more each day.
Feed off others
Connect with other people who you consider to be positive and enthusiastic. They will be your ?energy-givers? and will help you to maintain a positive attitude. Where you can, avoid the ?energy-drainers? ? these are people who have mostly negative attitudes.
By working on your own Positive Thinking you can improve your mood and your performance and minimise the risk of suffering significantly low moods in the future. Thank you for your involvement in our Positive Mentality programme ? we hope your participation has positively improved your life and mental well-being.
MOST of the time we have a choice in the way we view a situation, even if we can?t control what is actually happening. Our take on an event, whatever it is, can influence the way we feel and then behave - this is often down to our attitude.
You won?t be surprised to learn that our attitudes towards certain things are formed very early on in our lives - as a result of our upbringing, our early experiences and the culture in which we live. But attitudes can be changed; they are not fixed forever.
Negative thinking
We all experience negative thoughts from time to time, when we are struggling with a new job, having difficulties in a relationship or, for example, worrying about finances. More often than not these thoughts are related to the particular situation, are time-limited and do not have a major impact upon our ability to function in day-to-day life. Negative thoughts are part and parcel of everyday life and are not normally a problem.
However, when negative thoughts become pervasive and all-consuming, taking over from any positive thinking, they can have a major effect on our mood and behaviour. Taking active steps to promote positive thinking can improve our daily mood and will stand us in good stead in times of greater life difficulties.
Self-awareness
The first step in any process of change is becoming aware of your current state. It can be helpful to keep a diary of your mood over a number of weeks and record the events that are happening around a time when your mood takes a dip and you feel more negative about things. What is going through your mind at these times? Are there any recurring patterns? Who is around and what are you doing when you feel more negatively?
Challenging the way you think
Once you have identified the thoughts that go through your mind when you are feeling negative, you are in a better position to address them. Ask yourself whether the way you thought about an event or situation was accurate. Did you take account of all the possible ways of interpreting a situation or event? What would a friend or colleague say about your interpretation? If someone sought advice from you about a negative thought, how would you respond to them?
Take action
Once you have identified your negative thoughts you have two options: either your interpretation is correct and you need to take action; or your interpretation is inaccurate and you need to address your thinking. Changing negative thinking is often referred to as ?Cognitive Restructuring? and is a large part of the psychological therapy termed ?Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?, which is used by a range of specially trained mental health professionals. However we can all examine our negative thinking and look for bias in the way we think. Examples include:
Over generalising from one event or part of life to everything about you. For example, ?I did not do very well on that test therefore I am a complete failure?.
Ignoring the positive ? we place too much emphasis on the one negative thing that happened and ignore the positive events beforehand. For example, ?The forecast says it will rain tomorrow, on the second from last day of my two-week break. That?s my holiday ruined?.
Blowing things up out of all proportion ? a relatively small negative event is blown up into something much more terrible. For example, spilling some coffee on your skirt equates to ?My day is ruined?.
If you realise you are doing any of these things, try to give yourself a more balanced perspective. For example, ?So I didn?t do so well on that test but I have done well on all the previous tests and I will do better next time. There are still lots of things that I am good at?. Or, ?So what if we get a little rain tomorrow, we have had almost two weeks of sunshine?. Or, ?Oh well, a good job my skirt is dark. No-one will notice and I have that lunch with the girls to look forward to later?.
If you feel your thinking is having a very detrimental effect on your mood and behaviour and you cannot address this yourself, you may need to see a professional. Consult your GP in the first instance. However, have a look at the following:
Actively maintain a positive approach
Being committed to what you do, taking control where you can, and challenging yourself appropriately can help you learn how to maintain a positive approach:
Be enthusiastic
Try to using positive enthusiasm to deal with things, rather than dealing with them because you have to or showing poor grace. You will feel better about doing things and others around you will feed off your enthusiasm.
Take control
Be proactive about the things that you can. They may not seem earth-shattering in the grand scheme of life, but you can at least influence them. Give yourself credit for the things you do manage to influence, no matter how small.
Challenge yourself
Take opportunities that come your way to challenge yourself a little more each day.
Feed off others
Connect with other people who you consider to be positive and enthusiastic. They will be your ?energy-givers? and will help you to maintain a positive attitude. Where you can, avoid the ?energy-drainers? ? these are people who have mostly negative attitudes.
By working on your own Positive Thinking you can improve your mood and your performance and minimise the risk of suffering significantly low moods in the future. Thank you for your involvement in our Positive Mentality programme ? we hope your participation has positively improved your life and mental well-being.