The Power of Positive Thinking and How to Practice It

The positive thinking mentality is everywhere. You’ll find affirmations like, “Good vibes only” and “No bad days.” Sayings like these can be found on t-shirts, wall art, and Rastaclat bracelets. But what does it mean to think positively?

Knowing how to keep a positive mindset is a philosophy and a state of mind. The benefits of positive thinking are numerous and life-changing. Let’s look at how to think positive as you take on the challenges of the day.

What is Positive Thinking?

When someone says, “Think positive," they mean developing the mental attitude to focus on the good things. It’s about expecting happiness, health, and wealth. Going into anything with the idea that everything will turn out great is all about the law of attraction.

Create those positive feedback loops, and you’ll get more out of your life. But don’t misunderstand what being positive is. A positive thought isn’t going to fix all your problems. It’s also not going to cure crippling anxiety over failure, or even the reverse.

Positive positivity doesn’t come about by simply thinking happy thoughts all day, either. Thinking positively sets you up for the positive actions you’ll take when taking on tasks and managing your relationships with others.

The Top Benefits of Positive Thinking

Why should you go through all the trouble of developing long-term positive thoughts?

Several studies have looked into the physical and mental benefits of being a positive thinker. The benefits of positive thinking are wide-reaching. Optimists tend to have longer life spans, lower rates of heart trouble, superior pain tolerance, and lower blood pressure. It makes sense because being negative takes a lot of effort to maintain, not to mention strain on your body, too.

Shifting to being mind positive also has many mental health benefits, including:

• Better clarity
• More creativity
• Higher problem-solving skills
• Ability to cope under pressure
• Reduced chances of depression

Most would say the most significant advantage of having a sunny outlook on life is simply feeling better. So, why wouldn’t you want to be more positive?

How to Have a Positive Mindset

It’s no easy task if you’re a natural pessimist to radiate good vibes all the time. Telling yourself that everything is great is hardly much of a strategy.

It takes work to bring that positive mindset to the forefront. Let’s go through some of the great ways you can start being more positive now.

Focus on the Good

Ups and downs are what life is all about. When you’re faced with situations that don’t pan out in your favor, focus on the good things. Look for the small positives in everything. Practice, and you’ll find it comes automatically with time.

Practice Gratitude

Everyone knows that people who are grateful for what they have are more resilient in darker times. Gratitude isn’t about curbing your ambition or settling with what you have. It’s all about appreciating the people and the moments.

Set a few minutes aside every day to reflect on those events and be grateful. It can be as simple as thanking a coworker for their support or helping your mom with an at-home project.

Keep a gratitude journal that you fill in every day. Jot down some of those things you’re grateful for and read over some of those previous entries.

Laugh More

Do you ever realize that laughter brightens up your day for hours?

Open yourself up to more humor. Find the funny in every situation. Be someone who makes others smile. It doesn’t matter if you’re not feeling it. Pretend if need be. To laugh is to love.

Surround Yourself with Positive People

It’s hard to lift yourself up when everyone else is trying to drag you down. You’re the average of your five closest friends, and that includes how you feel about yourself and the world around you.

Seek out the positive and surround yourself with people who want to laugh and enjoy this journey we call life.

Use Positive Imagery

Start your day with something that makes you feel good. It could be a song, a podcast, or just a talk with a family member.

Surround yourself with positive imagery. It could be a poster of your favorite band, a colorful bracelet, or even just a wallpaper on your smartphone.

When all you see is positive, it’s much easier to get into a positive thinking mindset.

How to Keep a Positive Mindset

It’s easy being positive when things are going your way, but what happens when things aren’t going your way?

If your world feels like it’s falling apart, how will you keep the right state of mind? Try these techniques:

Don’t Bury, Embrace

Toxic positivity is just as bad as excessive pessimistic thinking. The worst thing you can do is bury every negative thought. Life is about embracing the whole spectrum of human emotion. Channel anger, grief, and envy and make it your motivation to resolve the situation so you can get into a better headspace.

Acknowledging and embracing tough situations is challenging. Start a daily meditation practice to get used to addressing the positive and the negative.

Find the Positive

It isn’t always easy to find the positive when you’re in the moment. Find a few moments to breathe and seek out the positive.

Every situation has a positive. Even if the only positive is, “It could have been worse,” it’s still a positive. Become adept at seeking out those glimmers of light.

Talk it Out

No one person is an island. Turn to a friend, a family member, or even a pet. Let your feelings flow through you. Let your guard down, and don’t be afraid to show vulnerability. We’re all human and expressing yourself through the bad times is a great way to let those negative moments pass you by.

Know What You Can and Cannot Change

Humans often panic when they feel they don’t control their ecosystems. Getting angry or sad over the things that have happened and what you can’t change is no way to live.

Instead, focus on what you can change. Concentrate on being positive by evaluating what you can do better next time.

Seeing life through the lens of self-improvement is what you can do to be mind positive even when everything is going wrong.

Develop Acceptance

Acceptance means allowing everything to come and accepting that it’s a natural part of life. Whether you made a mistake or something outside of your control left you with a bad taste in your mouth, accept everything no matter what.

Delve deep into your mind and examine the patterns in your thinking. Where’s your resistance, and what’s leading you to those negative thoughts in the first place?

Consider how to break those negative thought patterns that make it difficult for you to accept whatever life throws at you.

Take Action

Dwelling in your misery and sitting in a rut isn’t going to get you anywhere. Instead, practice taking action at the earliest possible opportunity.

Move on from the situation you’ve found yourself in and focus on rectifying whatever went wrong. Get your feelings out into the open. Give yourself time to grieve and reflect, but don’t let a bad situation dominate your life.

Conclusion

A positive thought is transformative. Generating positive emotions from inside yourself is a powerful trait, no matter the situation. Optimistic thinkers claim a wealth of mental and physical benefits, and those thinkers usually have better relationships with the people around them.

A rising tide lifts all boats, so start your journey to a positive state of mind today. Imagery is essential, and for more than 10 years, Rastaclat has helped promote positivity, freedom of expression, diversity, and inclusion through colorful, stylish bracelets.

Check out the Rastaclat store and shop for positivity bracelets to light up your life.