Become self-aware

The first step towards knowing how to get a more positive mindset is becoming aware of when you’re being negative, or what the things are that trigger negative thoughts in your mind.

It is hard to fix a problem when we don’t realize that there is something that needs to be repaired.

So to summarize, to learn how to change your negative thoughts into positive ones, we must first become aware of those negative thoughts that form a toxic vicious circle before being able to change them for the better.

Learn to accept failure and being rejected

Failure is a natural part of life.

It is rarely the case that we are immediately good at something from the very beginning. That’s why we need to accept failure by not seeing it as something bad, but rather as something normal that might even be desirable in the end.

No matter how smart we are, how good-looking, and how competent, we are still going to be rejected from time to time. Be it from the other sex, or job interviews. Even though we might be more than capable enough for those positions.

Exercise and practice relaxation exercises

Exercising has been shown to have a positive effect on our mood and thus, our mindset due to releasing endorphins such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. These endorphins help regulate our mood.

Therefore, exercising can help us to have a positive mental attitude by changing our negative thoughts into positive ones.

Relaxation exercises in particular might help us to relax by engaging the parasympathetic nervous system and by calming our thoughts.

Every person needs to wind down from time to time. Otherwise, the stress will eventually get to us. And chronic stress leads to no good, especially in the long run.

Don’t misuse social media

There are a lot of pros and cons to social media usage.

But despite the advantages like being able to connect to people living far away, and the ability to share intimate moments, I think social media platforms as a whole are being a bit misused.

Let me explain that a bit more carefully. I think people in general spend too much time on social media, worrying about how they are being perceived in the process.

People on social media often end up fishing for as many likes as humanly possible. And if the picture doesn’t quite live up to its expectations in the form of likes from others, it gets deleted. Only to upload a new picture in an attempt to get even more likes.

Everyone likes external validation from time to time, that’s normal and even supportive. But putting too much emphasis and value on external affirmation is a bad habit that’s hard to break.

Being content and feeling validated must primarily come from within. Not to mention that internal validation will last a lot longer than external affirmation ever will.

Change negative self-talk into more positive and realistic self-talk

Negative self-talk will serve no purpose except bringing you down.

Rather, try to change negative self-talk into positive or at least more realistic self-talk. Our lives are typically colored by our subjective experiences rather than objective ones.

That’s why it is so hard for most of us to be objective, especially when the matter involves ourselves. It’s hard to remain impersonal when we’re personally involved and emotionally invested indeed.

Have an emotional and physical outlet

Having an emotional and physical outlet in the form of a sport or hobby is important to keep your mind and body in a healthy place.

Even physical activities can help eliminate negative thinking and ruminating. Not to mention all the endorphins that get released when exercising positively influence our mood and thus, our thoughts as well.

Different sports are suited for various personalities. So make sure to try out multiple contrasting hobbies and sports to find the right fit for you.

Practice perseverance

A positive mindset requires perseverance. Because very few good things come on their own without hard work and persistence.

To get through the tragedies and hardships of life, one will need to keep trucking on. It is normal to get knocked down from time to time, but what matters most is that you stand back up every time.

It’s hard to defeat a man who refuses to stay down, if not impossible.

Learn to live in the present

Worrying too much about the past and future is of no use. The past’s purpose is to teach us valuable lessons while thinking about the future can help us develop a plan, or goal for ourselves that we want to attain down the road.

But worrying too much about either one will detract from the positive experiences in the present. We can’t control everything that will happen in the future, either. No matter how much we think about it.

Sometimes we need to let go of what we can’t control and attempt to manipulate what is under our voluntary control in the here and now.

Reward yourself

Try to reward yourself whenever you do something good. This can be giving a present to yourself, but also doing something you enjoy.

Not only is it beneficial for your mindset, but when you’re giving yourself positive feedback, you’re more likely to repeat that particular behavior.

Rewarding yourself from time to time is most certainly a good habit. It gives people the much-needed incentive to continue doing good, purposeful deeds.

Love yourself

Having a positive attitude includes self-love. Loving yourself is somewhat of a lost art in this day and age.

We are often incredibly self-critical and highly demanding of ourselves.

Not to mention that continually being connected to social media platforms where people share their seemingly perfect lives with the carefully chosen most beautiful pictures with perfect lightning frequently harms our self-esteem.

Always try to improve yourself, but acknowledge that perfection is not attainable.

No matter how tough it is, every single one of us has to learn how to deal with our imperfections. And make no mistake, even seemingly perfect people have their weaknesses, perhaps even more than you.

Let go of the things you can’t control

One rule that has helped me personally to become more positive and hopeful is letting go of the things I can’t control. You should only worry about, and try to better, the things that are in your control.

It makes no sense to worry about the things you can’t change, no matter how much you want to.

More so, instead of worrying about the things you can control, try to take action to improve those things to prevent ruminating and experiencing negative thoughts which will reduce your happiness.

Control your thoughts to control your emotions

All people experience emotions. Both good and bad ones.

What we can’t directly control are the emotions we feel daily. But we can indirectly control them by influencing our thoughts. Thinking optimistically will make it so that we experience more positive emotions.

Likewise, thinking negatively will make us undergo more negative emotions.

In short, think positively to feel better. Try it out for yourself, and you will quickly notice the beneficial effects.

Focus on the process, not the result

There are times when we focus so much on the result(s) that we forget to enjoy the process, which is the road of improvement that we are walking in that very moment.

Obtaining a desired end result feels great, but that blissful feeling of euphoria will quickly subside as well. People need goals to make their lives meaningful. Without them, we are often lost, experience more negative thoughts, and we can even get depressed as a result.

It is exactly this process of engaging in meaningful work and noticing the positive improvements that make us feel good and cause a positive spirit.

So try to enjoy the present, and notice what things you’re doing a bit better than yesterday to maintain that positive mindset.

Smile often

Last, but most certainly not least, smiling.

Smiling is another tool in the arsenal when learning how to start thinking positively. Smiling makes us feel better. Not to mention that it makes you more approachable and makes other people feel better as well.

Even though we might not always feel like it, smiling has a positive effect on our mood. Sometimes we need to act something out first before we get to feel it. Smiling can be such a thing.

It is a powerful tool that can be used to great effect to think more positively and to feel better as a result.