Practice Positivity: Five Tips for How To Be More Positive

I think we can all agree that the world would be a much better place to live and work if we all practiced a bit more positivity -- choosing to emphasize on what is working in our lives, focusing on the good in people, and ignoring the negativity that surrounds us and often drags us down.

What are the benefits of positivity? Besides feeling better -- and making others around you feel better -- positivity reduces stress, which can lead to better mental and physical health, including reduced blood pressure, lower levels of depression, increased lifespan, great feelings of well-being, and better coping skills for those tough times.

What are you waiting for? Start spreading the positivity -- beginning with yourself since many of us are way too hard on ourselves, but continuing with sharing your joy, appreciation, and thanks with those around you. Here are 5 tips for how you can help yourself become more positive.

Five Positivity Tips: How to be More Positive

1. Start each day with a positive affirmation. Something as small as a simple reminder of what is good in your life helps, such as "I have my health, a good job, and supportive friends," or "I am happy and thankful for the people and gifts in my life." Or it can be a favorite quote... or you can even buy a book or subscribe to a daily affirmation list. The point is to start each day -- while you are still waking up from sleep -- on a positive note.

2. Get over yourself; no one is perfect. Sometimes the hardest route to being positive is the dark cloud that envelops us when we think we made a mistake -- or worse, a dumb, easily avoided mistake -- but the truth is that we are often way too hard on ourselves and make bigger deals out of something than necessary. When you make a mistake, take note of it and how you can avoid it in the future, and move on. Stop dwelling on it.

3. Laugh more; find humor in situations. Of the many things I love about my wife, near the top of the list is her contagious laugh and wonderful sense of humor -- that not only diffuses any bad situation, but makes silly or clumsy situations all the funnier... and you cannot be negative when you are laughing. Laughing offers many health benefits -- it lowers blood pressure, works on your abdominal muscles, triggers the release of endorphins, and produces a greater sense of well-being.

4. Observe healthy self-care. If you do nothing else in this article other than improve your self-care, it may be enough to power your positivity. What is healthy self-care? It means eating real food -- quality, non-processed protein, fruits, and vegetables -- and avoiding sugar. Eating correctly is amazingly transformative. But eating well is not enough; you also need to exercise as part of healthy self-care. You could certainly join a gym (especially for the moral support), but you can easily walk and do simple exercises in your home. Just remember to start any workouts slowly -- and with approval from your doctor.

5. Volunteer your time in your community. Sometimes we get caught up in our own little bubble, and if things are not going well, we can easily get dragged down by events. One of the remedies for this situation is helping others -- whether it is simply visiting with a sick or homebound neighbor or volunteering in your community. Helping others, making a positive difference in other people's lives, no matter how small, provides us with a better sense of self -- and often helps us realize that some of the issues nagging us are minor compared to what others are dealing with.

Final Thoughts on Positivity

Always remember that how you deal with a situation -- or people -- is a choice. You can choose to focus on the positive and spread love, or you can choose to be negative and spew hate... Positivity will help you feel better, live longer -- especially if you follow all the tips in this article.

As one of my favorite pastors said recently: "When you complain, you remain. When you praise, you raise." We need to be more encouraging, more uplifting, more positive -- because our actions are uplifting, not just to ourselves, but to those around us. Thanks, Pastor Shane, for your positive message!

Finally, find five more tips in our companion article, Practice Positivity: 5 More Tips for Becoming More Positive.