Did you know that your attitude drives how you live your life, how you treat others, how others treat you, and a whole lot more? A better attitude can help you be more successful at home and work. At the same time, you’ll enjoy a sense of inner peace and confidence.
No matter how awesome you are, we all can benefit from an attitude check now and then. Agree?
Or, maybe you’re looking for clever ways to get back your optimism because you realize you need a glow-up. Whatever the case may be, you’ve come to the right place. Check out these six effective ways to improve your attitude.
6 Easy Ways to Improve Your Attitude
Develop a Strong Desire to Change
Change can be scary. But staying stuck in the same unhealthy or toxic patterns is scarier. Improvement is impossible without change. A clever strategy for embracing change is to break it down into smaller digestible bits. Jumping off a mountain without a parachute isn’t for everyone. Even though this type of drastic change is glorified in the media, only a small percentage of people are wired for this type of “all or none” reality.
Yes, if you want to have a more positive attitude, you have to embrace change, but maybe not all at once. Baby steps are a great option.
As you ease into change, you’ll notice you’re becoming a calmer, more self-accepting person. Your self-confidence will also get a nice boost because you’re not easily frazzled.
Personal growth is a slow and steady process. Yet, it goes hand-in-hand with change and you’ll receive all the gifts that come with it.
Open Your Mind to See from a New Vantage Point
All circumstances and events in life can be viewed from a positive or a negative point of view. Those two viewpoints are always there, co-existing just waiting to lunge into your mind. Which one you see as most prominent depends on your perspective.
Try this. The next time something happens, try to look at it from more than one angle. If there are other people involved, try to picture it from their point of view.
Being aware of other people’s vantage points gives clarity and puts things in their proper perspective. It also makes you see both the good and bad in everything. To develop a more positive attitude, all you need to do is to direct more of your energy to see the good, no matter how small.
Develop Good Mental Habits
You might not realize this but, negative thoughts and beliefs can lead to negative habits. A habit is simply a learned behavior that, over time, becomes reflexive (i.e., you do it without even thinking or discriminating). So, start practicing more of the better mental habits, and over time they will overtake the bad ones.
To break the cycle of negative thoughts that lead to negative attitudes, start to develop one good habit at a time. For example, start with taking a 10-minute walk during your lunchtime, in nature if possible. The positive mental benefits of walking in nature are well documented.
Add 10 minutes each week, and you’ll be surprised at how easy it’s become. You may even find yourself waiting in anticipation for your daily walks.
More good habit suggestions:
- Get quality restorative sleep each night
- Cut back on processed food, alcohol, or smoking
- Manage money more wisely
- Take some time to re-energize and de-stress
- Give back to your community
- Practice self-reflection through meditation, journaling, or prayer
- Find a hobby that indulges your creative side
All of these good mental health activities will strengthen your positive resolve and make you a better, happier person in the long run. Instead of just relying on willpower to change, creating rituals and habits will change your life in ways that you never imagined possible.
Spend Time with Positive People
This challenge may seem like it’s becoming more and more of a challenge, but trust me, we are still out there. We all have our good and bad days. Yet, positive people always find a way to see the silver lining.
No matter what situation you’re in, positive people find a way to lift your mood and encourage your greatness. Their can-do attitude will remind you of your accomplishments and life lessons.
They’ll tell you how strong and resilient you are. They’ll remind you that with every down, there’s always an up.
Hanging out with people who have a positive attitude can help you see things in a brighter light. It’s a scientific fact that, after a while, you’ll start to think and act like them. You’ll start to be more optimistic and self-assured. You’ll find your negativity falling by the wayside in no time.
Focus on Solutions
We, humans, tend to dwell on negative situations. We talk catastrophize about them and dissect them like bugs under the microscope until we’re tired and overwhelmed. Where does that get us? Nowhere.
Rather than spending so much time and energy focusing on the problem, try to focus more on the solution. Brainstorm one, or ten, ways to solve a certain tricky situation.
It could get difficult in the beginning. Let’s be honest, it’s easier to complain than to actively come up with solutions and implement them. Yet, if you really put your mind to it and you stick it out, those ideas will be flying out faster than you can write them down.
Encourage yourself to stay positive and hopeful. Soon, your automatic response will be to focus on finding a solution, rather than complaining about the problem.
Live in the Present
Did you know that your past and future are like your guiding stars? The past holds all your life lessons that have helped shape the person you’ve become. Then, there’s the future where all your goals and dreams are lying in wait. While they’re important, they’re both out of your control.
The only thing you can control is the present moment. You can either make it the best it can be or you can let it pass you by and spend the rest of your life feeling regret.
One great way you can live in the present is to practice mindfulness. Sit somewhere quiet for a couple of minutes. Let your eyes wander to absorb everything going on around you. Whatever it is you’re seeing, take a few seconds to look at every detail.
Mindfulness meditation doesn’t just reduce stress by allowing you to live in the moment. It also teaches you to be grateful for everything you have and everything you’ve accomplished.
So there you have. These are my suggestions for changing your negative attitude towards a positive one. If you want to make a real difference in your life, start with working on your attitude towards yourself, others, and the world. You might just be surprised at the difference this one little life hack can make!
Be well + prosper,
Elaine xx
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