Defining Positivity:

Positivity means thinking optimistically, looking for solutions, expecting good results and success, focusing on blessings, and making decisions to make your life happier. It is about pushing past the worries, looking at the bright side of life, and in short, holding a positive state of mind. Being positive is not always easy though. It’s common to feel frustrated, bored or down, and we often struggle to embrace the happiness, joy, and liveliness that surrounds our lives. 
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Harms of Negativity:

Negative people will often become victims of depression and anxiety disorders, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and other mental health problems. Focusing on, and creating, problems can lead to feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and a constant state of worry. It’s this constant state of worry that influences the release of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which elevate the blood pressure and cause increased heartbeat, as well as fast breathing. Long periods of high cortisol and adrenaline levels are not good for your health and can lead to illness such as hypertension, diabetes, and/or obesity. Our health includes our physical health and our mental health, and we need both to be in balance.

‍Tips to be more Positive in life:

1. Know your sources of stress and try to manage them. 

What’s got you down and making you unhappy? Is it an external or internal source? It can be very beneficial to make a list of your stressors, and even just getting those out of your mind onto a paper can often bring on a sense of relief.

‍External stressors are the major life events that happen to you. These include matters such as divorce, the death of a loved one, toxic relationships and/or an unfair boss. It may be that your social environment is causing you to worry, or that you’re surrounding yourself with negative people. Perhaps your stress is coming from activity you’re seeing on social media or TV.

‍Internal stressors are your self-induced thoughts, including those things you tell yourself, ponder over and critique with your inner-critic. This can include nerves, fear of failure, fear of being rejected, unpreparedness, and lack of control. In many cases, we simply expect too much from ourselves and those around us, and if there is one recipe for disappointment and sadness, it is unrealistic expectations.

Once you have identified and made a list of your main stressors, try to avoid putting yourself in a position where you’ll experience them. This will likely lead to some adjustments in your life and changes in your behvior, but your health demands these improvements.

2. Making changes for the better. 

Making the needed adjustments and changes in your life will typically bring you a lot of satisfaction and positive energy, that will in-turn dispel negative energy and make you happier. Think about the joy we get from something as simple as a haircut or learning something new… 

‍3. Be mindful of the social media content that you consume.

Analysis your use, consumption and activity online and on social media platforms. Use the available tools to filter and remove the content that gives you stress. This content will be different for everyone, but often includes politics, religion, or his/her perfectly photoshopped lifestyle… Turn your attention elsewhere. Seek out inspirational and motivational content, and follow accounts, people and content that share stories about the things that make you smile and feel happy.

4. Stay active. 

Stay physically active and engage in sports or outdoor activities. You’ve heard the phrase, “get off the couch, and get outside”, for a reason. More people need to do it. Exercise and physical activity drives the release of endorphins that in-turn influence joy and happiness.
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5. Be present and mindful. 

It’s important, and very healthy, to regularly meditate or practice moments of mindfulness. Stop, slow down, engage your senses, pause, take note of and appreciate the world around you. This can include taking a moment to listen to positive music or doing some deep breathing exercises. Keep it simple and make sure it’s satisfying to you. 

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6. Take note of things you’re grateful for.

Set yourself a daily or weekly goal of writing down at least 3 things that you are grateful for. Keep it simple, don’t overthink it, and make sure you celebrate the big and little things. You might choose to create an official gratitude journal or simply bullet-point a few things in a notes app on your phone every afternoon. Be consistent - slowly but surely you will become increasingly aware, appreciative and grateful of the things that make you happy. 

7. Avoid negative energy.

Make a conscious effort to avoid situations that typically turn negative, and try to limit the bad thoughts that come into your mind. This is a process that takes practice, but slowly and consistently it can be achieved. It is important that you don’t neglect reality though, so always continue to identify and acknowledge your emotions, but try to convert any fear or worry into positive energy and/or actions. If you can empower your mindset, you’re empowering positivity.

Summary.

Put focus and attention on what makes you happy, and what makes you smile, because what you focus on grows. This concept is known as looking through the lens of abundance, instead of the lens of scarcity. We typically talk about problems and worries, but most don’t acknowledge and enjoy blessings anywhere near enough. Those with a positive mindset see things through the lens of abundance. They believe that we live in a beautiful world and that people genuinely want the best for each other. 

If you’re feeling frustrated, fearful or worried, take a moment and lead yourself to change. Identify your internal and external stressors, then make suitable and simple adjustments to avoid or limit those experiences.