8 Tips for More Positive Living Southbourne Group

Positive living requires the ability to separate the positive from the negative. In many cases, you will not have to work too hard to eliminate the negativity from your life. When you focus on positive living, you attempt to fix your focus on the positive aspects of your life. When you manage to focus on the positive, many of the negative aspects of your life will just disappear, without requiring any specific attention from you. However, there are always some instances where it can be quite difficult to stop yourself from running to the negative. This is simple human nature. It is something which we have been programmed to do over the years (e.g. by negative news and experiences).

However, just because you have been programmed to focus on negativity; it does not mean that you have to stay that way. With raised awareness, you can make a concerted effort to redress the balance and live a life based on positive living. Rather than feel bad about the excessive negativity in your life, you can choose to do something about it.

8 Steps to experience more positive living

Positive living is a conscious choice. You have to commit yourself to a new way of life. Here are some tips for adding some positive influence to your life:

1. Find a happy place

Create a place in your mind that is your ideal paradise. It can be a vision of a future life, a memory of a great holiday or, any thought/image which quickly floods your mind and body with positivity. When you feel stressed or down just go to your happy place, relax there and enjoy it.

It may require a little trial and error to identify your happy place but once you have identified it, you can use it any time that you need to increase your positivity rapidly.

2. Indulge yourself in a hobby

The simplest way to experience more positive living is to spend more time doing the things that you love. When life gets hectic, many people make the major mistake of cutting back on the things which they enjoy. However, if you want more positivity in your life, you have to think more positive thoughts and do more positive things. Positivity does not creep into your life by accident and, if it does, it rarely lasts for long. Doing something you enjoy will raise your spirits and allow you to maintain a positive attitude; all while eliminating some of the negativity from your life.

3. Exercise

Most people think of exercise solely as a physical activity. This is far from the truth. Exercise is just as important for your mental health as it is for your physical wellbeing. A regular exercise regime helps you to release stress from your body while filling your body and mind with positive feelings, confidence and a sense of achievement.

While many people look at exercise in a negative way, it really can bring positive influences to your life. The body’s reaction to exercise is a good one. Adopting an exercise regimen is an essential aspect of positive living as you will feel better and act better.

4. Find affirmations

Affirmations are sayings, verses or other short pieces that have a positive influence. For some people, they are a verse from the Bible or even a line from a greeting card. Affirmations are a conscious effort to make you think positively. Using an affirmation daily can perk up your attitude in an instant.

5. Exploring new things

When you are overcome by negativity, it is easy to avoid trying new things because you fear the unknown. But, if you think about it logically, you are experiencing negativity because your current experiences are not working for you. So, it is highly unlikely that trying something new is going to bring about a worse experience. In fact, if you want to feel better and experience more positivity, it is imperative that you try something different and new. Positive living is greatly enhanced by new experiences and the joy that they bring.

6. Do not walk away from a challenge

Challenges bring growth, opportunity and new experiences. Without challenges, your life would stagnate. Some people like to think that they can maintain the status quo but life doesn’t work that way. If you try to stand still, you will eventually begin to move backwards as life passes you by.

When you take on new challenges, you get the opportunity for new successes which, in turn, bring greater self-esteem and a raised sense of self-worth; both of which are essential components of positive living. Even if you don’t succeed at first, this only increases the sense of accomplishment which you experience when you finally achieve your objective.

Negative to positive in post

7. Ignore the rules

We often allow ourselves to be restricted by rules, formal or informal. Before you get caught up on rules, ask yourself ‘Whose rules are these?’ Often, the rules that hold us back are the rules that others enforce upon us. They are entitled to live life as they see fit and, set rules for their own life; however, they have no right to force their rules upon you.

There are times in life when you can have a lot more fun simply because you are doing something you were specifically told not to do or, that others might disapprove of. Take the time to understand your own values and set your own rules; for your own life. When you live to these values and rules, you will experience more fun – the key ingredient of positive living.

8. Visualize

Your imagination is a wonderful thing. Your subconscious mind does not know the difference between reality and imagination. When you imagine yourself living the life of your dreams, your subconscious mind thinks that you really are living that life and, you get the feelings of positivity and pleasure that come from living the life of your dreams. In addition, you will become more confident in your ability to create that life as your subconscious mind will be convinced that you have already done it.

The quickest way to a more positive life is to develop your self-confidence. If you lack self-confidence, check out Unbreakable Self Confidence.

The tips above are just some of the many ways in which you can experience more positive living. The important thing to remember is that positive living does not happen by accident. It takes conscious effort on your part to increase the amount of positivity that you experience in your life. Just because you might currently experience excessive negativity in your life; it does not mean that things have to stay that way. The tips provided above all have one thing in common; they are based on the principle that you create your own positivity and you make your own happiness. So, let yourself be guided by the things that make you happy, implement these steps and start your journey to positive living.

Southbourne Positive Living Group (SPLG) meets on the last Wednesday of the month (excluding holidays).

Join a group of like-minded people and rediscover the purpose and meaning of your life.