• Google reports that every month approximately 823,000 people globally enter the search engine, ‘how to be positive’.  I would imagine that to be prompted to type in this very specific search, then you are probably feeling fairly desperate and fed up with feeling less than positive.

• As the aim of my business is to encourage & inspire people to live a daring and mighty life, I wanted to offer my two cents worth.  After all, feeling positive goes hand-in-hand with being daring and mighty.

• So, what is the answer? How can we achieve feeling positive? Less anxious, stressed & depressed. Less negative, ruminating, catastrophic thoughts. How can we get to that place where we simply feel content & happy? Comfortable in our own skin. Healthy in mind, body & spirit.

• There are many very simple ways to lift your mood & improve your mindset. However depending on the depth of your negative state & the reason why you are in that place can make actioning even the most simple solutions difficult.

• So, first things first – only you know the depth of your ‘stuff’. If you feel in your gut that after reading the suggestions below that none of them will do the trick, then please get some professional help. Find a therapist or life coach or councellor to talk to.  The use of doctors, dentists, personal trainers, dieticians, plastic surgeons is common place. So why not hire someone to help you sort out your head? Seems so obvious to me.

• This brings me to mention the word courage. It takes a hell of a lot of courage to take the first step towards feeling positive. It takes a lot of courage to step out of your comfort zone – no matter how uncomfortable it actually is – and into unknown territory.  Even if you know that your destination is ultimately going to make you feel better.

• Picking up the phone and calling a councellor can be frightening. It is a huge thing to admit you need help. The thing is, only you can make the decision & take the first steps to fixing your life. You have to want to make the change. You then have to be brave.

• Be kind to yourself! When it comes to improving the way you feel, altering your mind-set and undergoing change, it is so important to do so in a self loving and compassionate way.  Forgiveness & patience with yourself is crucial. You are special and unique and deserve nothing less.

• When considering how to be positive, it is important to remember that you consist of Mind, Body & Spirit.  Achieving a lasting positive state of being is best achieved by paying attention to & balancing out all these aspects of your self. And remember that this is an ongoing process that should become a very natural habit. To remain in a positive state you need to regularly check in with every aspect of your self. Ensure you are nurturing and growing each part. This journey never ends and when you are in flow, it is magical. There really is nothing better than knowing yourself, feeling balanced and happy.

• Here are a few suggestions to promote positivity.  I bet you will be able to add many more to each area. The main thing is to decide what works for you and commit to it. It is well worth the rewards!

MIND:

• SHOW GRATITUDE. This is a very powerful tool & I would like to encourage you to write down at least 3 things you are grateful for every night before you go to sleep. Thank the universe for all you have and all your are. When gratitude becomes your general mind-set, you stop thinking about what you don’t have, which is so negative.

• REMEMBER that where we put our focus we magnify. It is the law of attraction. What you think you become.

• FOCUS on the bigger picture. This ties in with gratitude. Take time out to reflect on how lucky you are.  There is a lot of horrible suffering in the world and there is always somebody worse off than you. Be humble & grateful.

• STOP thinking ‘should’, ‘have to’, ‘ought to’ and ‘must’.  Replace those statements with ‘It would be nice to….’ and question what you thought you should or ought to have / achieve / be in the first place. Are they really your beliefs or could they belong to say, Mum, Dad, your high-school maths teacher, an old boss…..? Have you adopted someone else’s expectations? If they are not yours, they are likely to be incredibly disempowering. Stop giving yourself such a hard time!

• USE POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS.  Think empowering thoughts. They actually cause your brain to produce endorphins (happy hormones) – the same as those produced during exercise or sex – and make you feel healthy, energized & relaxed. Top coaches, therapists & personal development organisations consider positive affirmations crucial to long lasting personal transformation. The use of specific affirmations is a proven technique to guarantee positive change.

• DO NOT COMPARE yourself to others & stop expecting perfectionism from yourself. You are not perfect. No-one else is either. Simple.

• BE COMPASSIONATE, LOVING & KIND to yourself.  You would never talk to others in the same harsh, unforgiving, relentless, controlling way your monkey mind speaks to yourself. Talk to yourself in the same way you would talk to your child – with encouragement & care.

• SAY STOP.  Whenever you find your monkey mind taking over….simply notice and say, ‘Stop!’. It is a powerful tool to stop negative thoughts in their tracks. You can then choose what you would prefer to think. It feels good to control your thoughts like that! Conscious awareness of the thoughts & behaviours that keep us in a negative mind-set is crucial. We may never totally erase those negative patterns of behaviour, but awareness of them means we can put them in their place in a way that is loving and kind to ourselves.

• BE PRESENT. Live in the NOW. Just be. Notice what is going on about you. Don’t wish your life away by focussing on what’s next. Don’t dwell on the past. Enjoy the moment. Smell it. See it. Taste it. Feel it. Suck it up!

BODY:

• MOVE. Exercise increases your body’s levels of dopamine, which makes you feel euphoric and endorphins, which are calming and relaxing. And, when you exercise it is likely that you will lose weight & tone-up meaning an improvement in your self image which is so important to feeling positive. You can also make your movement mindful. Choose boxing to release tension & anger – picture the person or problem that is causing you grief and punch the life out of it. It feels great!

• LAUGH! Humour is essential for reducing stress. When you laugh your heart rate increases, pain & hormonal stress levels decrease and your circulatory, cardiovascular, immune & endocrine systems are all stimulated. When you are laughing, it’s hard to focus on the tough stuff that is making you feel low. Laughing is also a great way to feed your Inner Child who thrives on laughter. So, hire a funny flick, go to a comedy club, pull some pranks, do cartwheels in the park, have a skipping race – anything to make you laugh!

• LISTEN TO MUSIC. A lot! Play it in the car, at home while you shower or cook, when you are out running or walking. Whenever you can.  And sing along! The research suggesting that music improves your mood and well-being is compelling. It relaxes, energises, heals and immunises. It is an incredible antidote to depression and anxiety. Pump up the volume and beat to be re-charged and play some slow & chilled tunes to relax. Simple!

• DANCE. Focus on a problem or issue that is keeping you from feeling positive and dance it out! Seriously. Make sure you are alone, put on your favourite song, turn up the volume and leap about the room. Direct all your negative thoughts into your movement. The more wild & dramatic the better. Go nuts. Hopefully you will be able to laugh at yourself – let’s be honest, you are likely to look pretty funny! This is an incredibly powerful technique. It really works to release the negative energy that has built up in your body.  Your problem may not have disappeared but I guarantee you will feel less controlled by it, accompanied by a sense of relief, freedom, clarity & perspective.

• SLEEP. Adults need between 7 & 8 hours of sleep every night. True! Feeling low is often a sign of sleep deprivation. There are many physiological and psychological benefits from getting enough sleep. Very simply it will make you feel more alive, more capable, clear headed and ……. positive.

• EAT WELL. You know the drill. Eating a well balanced diet, drinking less booze and more water are crucial to ensuring you are at optimal health. An energising, healthy diet will really lift your spirits & keep you at your optimum weight. A diet full of bad sugars and fats just makes you feel slow & sluggish and you are likely to look that way.  You are what you eat so do yourself a favour & ensure that what you put in your mouth will ultimately make you feel good about yourself.

• HAVE SEX! It’s fun and makes you feel great. But if that isn’t enough to convince you, it also improves immunity, lowers blood pressure, burns calories, promotes sleep….. need I go on. Hop to it!

• BREATH. Air is our life force & breathing is a natural flow of energy. We can convert negative energy into positive energy simply by working with our breath. Yoga is a brilliant way to master an awareness of your breath. It also increases the anti-stress hormone, prolactin and the well-being hormone, oxytocin – which is low in those suffering depression. The other great thing about Yoga is that is works with your mind, body & spirit – it is a one stop shop!

SPIRIT:

• CONNECT with what makes you glow inside. Take the time to watch your children play & giggle. Get outdoors. Take a walk on the beach. Watch the clouds. Swim. Enjoy the sunset. Hang out with friends. Cook great food. Cuddle your cat. Paint. Kiss your partner. Remember those song lyrics – ‘The Best Things In Life Are Free?’

• MEDITATE. Calm your anxious nervous system, connect to your true self and to the power of the universe. It is so important to take time for yourself every day to be in a space that is not attached to your thoughts – past, present or future. Incredible calm and freedom is gained from completely suspending your thoughts. Huge energy is experienced when you connect to the light and it is such a relief to feel held by the universe & to know you are not alone. It is an incredibly uplifting, positive experience.

• DO UNTO OTHERS. Do stuff for other people. It will make you feel good. It’s a win-win! Make a cup of tea for your colleagues in the office. Cook your partner a special meal. Give your kids your time & attention doing something that ‘they’ love. Volunteer. Send birthday cards. You get the idea….

• LOVE! Love yourself. Love your partner. Love your kids. Love your pets. Love your friends. Love the planet. Love makes the world go round. That’s pretty positive!

• CONGRATULATE YOURSELF. Take baby steps and remember that any change in behaviour, no matter how small, is still growth.  Recognise every effort you make towards becoming more positive and give yourself a pat on the back.