Ways to Create a More Positive Mindset

Even though the food we eat is very important to our health, there are other things that are important as well - our mindset being one of them. Having a positive mindset each day can make a huge difference in how your day goes. We talked a little about having a morning routine last week and how that can go a long way into helping you have a better day but there are some other simple things you can try to focus on that could change your whole day too.

One of the things that I've been doing for a long time is a gratitude journal. This isn't something to share with anyone - it's just for you and it's something that you can use to record some thoughts each morning or evening. I just created a simple document on my computer and each day I add one thing to the list of something that I'm grateful for or something that makes me happy. It can be something like getting my hair or nails done, getting to spend time hanging out with my kids, or even seeing the scale go a little lower. ;)  Sometimes it's being thankful for a beautiful sunset or as simple as a nice chat with my husband. And then some days it might be a huge blessing that happened or a major event I've been waiting for. The point is, whatever you choose to write, it causes you to think about your day in a positive way and find the good in your experiences. Doing this creates a more positive mindset.

Another thing you can do is avoid media outlets - especially first thing in the morning or right before bed. Social media can be included in this because, despite the great things about it, sometimes it can bring up negative thoughts and feelings. But the biggest thing to avoid, in my opinion, is the news. The news is so full of negativity these days and it's all doom and gloom. To watch the news you'd think that everyone is out on a crime spree, the world is coming to an end, and there's no good left in the world. It's crazy how much negative stuff they come up with. And the sad thing is so much of it is reported with bias so it's not even completely accurate or even true in some cases. Research has shown that negative news in the morning makes people 27% more likely to report having a bad day even 6-8 hours later! That's something I'd rather avoid for sure. Beginning your day on a positive note is going to be so much better - not only for the morning but for your entire day. So keep the news off and use other things to create a happy morning routine to start your day off well. And then finish the day off well too and don't go to bed after having watched the news full of all the horrible things that happened that day.

Managing stress effectively is another tool you can use to increase your positive mindset. We all feel stress and we aren't going to be able to escape that but we stress about things that we care about and we can learn how to manage that stress better. Sometimes it's just a matter of getting to the root of the issue and figuring out how to handle a situation better. Sometimes it's all about reminding ourselves that we can't have control of the outcome of certain situations and we have to learn how to handle that well. Try to use your stress as a source of energy to fuel you into creating a more positive life for yourself. You also need to know when to step back and take a break so that you can clear your mind, regain some focus, and come at your problem with a fresh perspective. Did you know that a lot of people don't take their allowed vacation time that is allowed at work because they feel like they can't step away from work or even that it will make them look bad to their superiors? But according to Shawn Achor in the book Big Potential, studies have shown that people who use their vacation days actually perform better at work (they're getting away and getting refreshed!) and they are also evaluated higher by their superiors. So take those vacation days and get away and release some stress.

There are lots of ways that you can create a more positive mindset for yourself but these are just a few examples of how to flip the script on your day so to speak. You can make a difference in how your day goes if you take the steps to make things different.

I've shared before about how important reading is to me and I read a variety of books all the time so to wrap up this post I thought I'd share a list of books that might be helpful in this area in case you want to work more on mindset, creating healthy habits/routines, and improving your outlook on life. This is just a small list of the many great books that are available on this subject so if you know of others that are helpful, feel free to share with me!

• Big Potential by Shawn Achor
• 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do by Amy Morin
• Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Mindset by Carol Dweck

Hope you have a very positive day! :)