It’s a lot easier to clear negativity from our lives and those of our kids when we work together as a family to maintain a positive attitude.
Let’s face it, every minute of every day, all one thousand four hundred and forty of them, each one of us has the opportunity to see the glass as either half empty or half full. Whether it’s at home with our children, at work or with our friends in the community, building strong social connections with good people and finding ways to make a constructive impact are the greatest predictors of human happiness.
If you surround yourself with people who lift you up, support you in your goals, and give you encouragement it’s almost guaranteed you’ll reduce your stress levels, even under challenging circumstances. A cheerful attitude will also help enhance your immune system, improve your blood flow and fill you up with feel good, happy hormones. Try these helpful tips to keep you “up” and positive during tough times.
1. Find an optimistic side to any negative situation by looking for what you’ve learned or where there might be an opportunity.
2. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. Stop and breathe so you can refocus. Have you dealt with this before? Where can you get help?
3. Don’t rush into things. Go slowly and remember negative thoughts affect how we eat, talk, think and react. It’s easier to take things one step at a time.
4. Add value to someone’s life every day. What you send out into the world tends to come back.
5. Smile. Give hugs. Play uplifting music and encourage others with positive feedback.
6. Use positive rituals to begin your day. Often what we do in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day so be careful how you start off from the get-go.
7. Be mindful and try to reconnect with yourself and nature.
8. Celebrate the moment you are in. See things. Hear things and feel the sunshine, the fresh snow or the warm rain.
No one is perfect, but if you remember that it’s a two-way street and try to understand the qualities to cultivate within yourself, the right people to gravitate towards you. The attitude we have affects our partners, our children, and others around us.
Buck up and smile, even if you don’t feel like it. Putting yourself out there in a positive, energetic way will make all the difference. I promise.
Caroline Tapp-McDougall,
Editor
