How to Be a More Positive Person

If you want to start your day with positive thoughts or work on being a more happy and more positive person, we’ve got some ways you can develop this aspect of yourself.

Becoming more positive is possible, it just takes practice!

How to Be a Happier, More Positive Person

You might be wondering what is a positive outlook or why do I need one? It may seem like a lot of work to develop the skill of being positive, but it has long-term benefits.

Research has shown that optimistic, positive people may have better health outcomes after surgery, have more career success, and is linked to higher motivation and performance (source).

We tend to think we are either optimistic or pessimistic people – that we tend towards positive thinking or we don’t. Positivity is a learned trait, it’s not just something we’re born with – which is good news for people who want to learn positivity.

Learning Positivity is Possible

Positivity is an outlook you can learn to cultivate and build habits to support.

The first thing you need to do is monitor your thoughts and determine when you’re being positive and the times you’re less positive. Knowing how to you react to things and determining if they are the reaction you want will help you pinpoint the areas you struggle with.

The second thing you need to work on is a mindset shift, to believe you can actually retrain your brain to respond differently. This involves taking ownership of your thoughts and knowing that not every thought that pops into your head is something you have to believe.

5 Ways to Start Your Day with a Positive Attitude

One of the ways you can build a habit of positivity is to start each day with the habit of expressing positivity. Here are five ways to start each morning with positivity.

Say three things you’re grateful for – gratitude immediately makes us feel happier. Focus on a few things that you love and are grateful for. Say them out loud and say thank you for them.
Spend time outside or move your body – starting the day with a morning walk or just stretching your body will give you an immediate boost.
Say some positive affirmations – hype yourself up and work on your self-worth at the same time.
Focus on your breathing or meditate – allow yourself some quiet time before you look at your phone or email. This will help you still your mind and have a centered attitude for the day.
Ask yourself what great/exciting/amazing things you’ll do today – get excited for the day! What great things do you want to do? What fun is there to be had today? Allow yourself to feel excited even about the small things.

Do any and all of these things on a daily basis; before checking your phone, email, or social media.

What to Do When You Don’t Feel Positive

We all have times we’ll struggle with feeling positive. Here are some methods to help you through these times.

Remember it’s not you – it’s so easy to feel like we’re frauds or big failures when that’s just not true! You are not the cause of everything going wrong. Try to remember that it’s the circumstances and not you.
Remember it’s not as big as it seems – we often blow things out of proportion and feel like everything is ruined. Try to remember that what you’re dealing with is probably not as big as it seems.
Remember it won’t last forever – very few things in our lives, and especially things that go wrong, are permanent. Remind yourself that even if it’s bad now, it will get better.

Resources on Positivity and Happiness

Surrounding yourself with tools for developing positivity and happiness can be helpful on your self-development journey. Here are some of our favorite resources (podcasts and books) for building positivity