It’s not always easy to be positive. Let’s face it, we live in a stressful world. We face plenty of challenges and have numerous obligations. It’s no wonder it can be hard to put on a smile and think optimistically sometimes.

But a positive outlook can do wonders for you. It can relieve stress, ward off illness, help you live longer, and even attract other positive people to you. Positive thinking can improve your life, so making an effort to increase positivity can be a game changer.

To help you get there, let’s talk about some ways to increase positivity in your life. With a little effort and some practice, you’ll start to feel the benefits of having an optimistic outlook.

Read Motivating Content

One of the biggest things that can influence how you see yourself and the world around you is the content you read. When you read an inspirational book, it can help your mind interpret things more positively. Reading motivational material can inspire you to overcome limitations, make better choices, and take positive actions more often.

Here are some recommendations for motivational books to read:

• More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who you Are (No Matter What They Say) by Elaine Welteroth
• Good Vibes, Good Life: How Self-Love is the Key to Unlocking Your Greatness by Vex King
• You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
• Thinking Like a Boss: Uncover and Overcome the Lies Holding You Back from Success by Kate Crocco
• Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes

Good Vibes, Good Life: How Self-Love is the Key to Unlocking Your Greatness was included in the Find Your Fire Renew Box. Get yours in the Shop today – while supplies last.

Turn Off the News at Night

You may not even think about it, but the time of day you read negative content can affect how well you sleep. Some say it’s best not to watch the news right before bed because it can leave you feeling anxious. And that anxiety can carry over into your dreams. Have you ever fallen asleep after watching a murder show and dreamt about death?

Put a stop to the stress and anxiety by tuning into something light-hearted, funny, or uplifting and watch it with your partner or family. Or better yet, pick up one of those inspirational books. Then look forward to a good night’s sleep.

Banish the Negativity

While eliminating all the negativity in your life is a rather lofty goal, you can certainly identify a few that you can shed. Taking some time to reflect on the things that cause you the most stress and coming up with a plan to solve or get rid of them is a worthwhile exercise.

For example, one thing that causes a great deal of stress for a lot of people is clutter. You can probably relate to this one. Seeing clutter in your home, at work or in your life can distract you from focusing on the positive things around you.

Think about it. Imagine coming home after a challenging day at work and a long commute home to find a house in disarray. Toys strewn about, dirty dishes on the counter, and laundry on the floor. Yikes!

Now, imagine coming home to a house where things are put away in their place and you can walk freely around your house without tripping over a toy or misplaced shoes. Much better, isn’t it?

Have you heard of the Marie Kondo book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up? Yes, it’s a decluttering how-to book, but it also lays out a plan for banishing negative clutter and finding joy in your life. The premise is to go through your belongings and identify the ones that spark joy. The things that spark joy, you keep it. The ones that don’t, you get rid of it.

Get into Good Habits

We know breaking bad habits is difficult, so rather than trying to stop them, focus on developing and strengthening the good ones. As you do so, you may find yourself doing less of the bad and more of the good.

The following are some good habits to get into that are fairly easy to start:

• Exercise more
• Eat healthier
• Go outdoors
• Keep clutter out of your life
• Smile more
• See the good in things
• Spend quality time with your family and friends
• Practice gratitude
• Meditate
• Be kind to yourself and others

Choose Your Words Carefully

We tend to be the hardest on ourselves and be our own worst critic. Over time, this can cause you to form a negative opinion of yourself that can be hard to shake. To stop this, you’ll need to be mindful of the voice in your head and respond with positive messages, also known as positive self-talk.  

Research shows that even a small shift in the way you talk to yourself can influence your ability to regulate your feelings, thoughts, and behavior under stress.

Here’s an example of positive self-talk: Instead of thinking “I really messed that up,” try “I’ll try it again a different way.”

Final Thoughts

With these tips in mind, you’ll have an arsenal of ideas to increase positivity in your life and become happier and more focused. But don’t keep it to yourself. Share these ideas with loved ones. Happiness breeds happiness, so why not bring some positivity into someone else’s life?

After reading through them, what’s one way you can add positivity to your life? Share your idea in the comments.

Ready to create new positive thinking habits? Check out our Positivity Challenge