How To Be Positive With Pictures

Many places offer courses in compassion meditation. You can also check out some guided MP3 meditations online. The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society[15] X Research source and the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center[16] X Research source both have free downloadable loving-kindness meditations. It turns out that loving-kindness meditation is also good for your mental health. Studies have shown that compassion meditation decreases symptoms of depression, suggesting that learning compassion for others may also help you extend compassion to yourself. [17] X Research source

Keeping a journal should be more than just a list of things you didn’t like. Research suggests that focusing only on the negative emotions and experiences in your journal will reinforce them, leading you to feel more negative. [20] X Research source Instead, write down what you felt, without judging it as either good or bad. For example, a negative experience might look like this: “I felt hurt today when my coworker made a joke about my weight. ” Then, think about your response. How did you respond in the moment? How would you choose to respond now, with a little distance? For example: “In the moment, I felt horrible about myself, like I was worthless. Now thinking back on it, I realize that my coworker says insensitive things to everyone. Someone else can’t define me or my worth. Only I can do that. ” Try to think about how you can use these experiences as learning experiences. How can you use this for personal growth? What will you do next time? For example: “Next time someone says something hurtful, I will remember that their judgments do not define me. I will also tell my coworker that his comments are insensitive and hurt my feelings so that I remember my feelings are important. ” Remember to include the positive things in your journal too! Taking even a few moments to note down a kindness from a stranger, a beautiful sunset, or an enjoyable chat with a friend will help you “store” these memories so that you can recall them later. Unless you focus on them, they’re likely to pass right by your notice.

Some people are naturally higher in “trait gratitude,” the natural state of feeling thankful. However, you can foster an “attitude of gratitude” no matter what level of “trait gratitude” you naturally have![26] X Trustworthy Source Greater Good Magazine Journal published by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, which uses scientific research to promote happier living Go to source In relationships and situations, avoid approaching them like you “deserve” something from them. This doesn’t mean that you believe you deserve nothing, and it doesn’t mean you put up with mistreatment or disrespect. It just means that you should try to approach things without feeling like you’re “entitled” to a certain result, action, or benefit. [27] X Research source McCullough, M. E. , Kilpatrick, S. D. , Emmons, R. A. , & Larson, D. B. (2002). Is gratitude a moral affect? Psychological Bulletin, 127, 249-266. Share your gratitude with others. Sharing your feelings of gratitude with others helps you “set” those feelings in your memory. It can also inspire positive feelings in the people you share with. [28] X Trustworthy Source Greater Good Magazine Journal published by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, which uses scientific research to promote happier living Go to source See if you have a friend who’ll be your “gratitude partner” and share three things for which you’re grateful with each other every day. [29] X Research source Make an effort to recognize all the little positive things that happen throughout the day. Write them down in a journal, snap photos for your Instagram, write about them on Twitter – whatever helps you recognize and remember these small things for which you’re grateful. For example, if your blueberry pancakes turned out just right, or the traffic to work wasn’t bad, or your friend gave you a compliment on your outfit, note these things! They add up quickly. [30] X Trustworthy Source Greater Good Magazine Journal published by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, which uses scientific research to promote happier living Go to source Savor these good things. Humans have a bad tendency to focus on the negative stuff and let the positive things slide right past us. When you note the positive things in your life, take a moment to mindfully acknowledge them. Try to “store them” in your memory. For example, if you see a beautiful flower garden on your daily walk, stop for a moment and tell yourself, “This is a beautiful moment, and I want to remember how grateful I feel for it. ” Try to take a mental “snapshot” of the moment. Doing so can help you remember these things later, when you’re having a hard time or a negative experience. [31] X Trustworthy Source Greater Good Magazine Journal published by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, which uses scientific research to promote happier living Go to source

Choose affirmations that are personally meaningful to you. You might choose to use affirmations that show compassion to your body, to your thoughts about yourself, or to remind yourself of your spiritual traditions. Whatever makes you feel positive and tranquil about yourself, do it! For example, you might say something like “My body is healthy and my mind is beautiful” or “Today I will do my best to be kind” or “Today my deity/spiritual figure is with me as I go through the day. ” If you struggle with a particular area, try actively focusing on finding positive affirmations in that area. For example, if you have body image issues, try saying something like, “I am beautiful and strong” or “I can learn to love myself as I love others” or “I am worthy of love and respect. ”

For example, consider inventor Myshkin Ingawale. In a 2012 TED Talk, Ingawale told the story about how he invented technology to save pregnant women’s lives in rural India. The first 32 times he tried to invent his device, it didn’t work. Again and again, he was faced with the opportunity to interpret his experience as failure and give up. However, he chose to use these experiences to learn from past challenges, and now his invention has helped reduce deaths of pregnant women in rural India by 50%. [41] X Research source As another example, consider Dr. Viktor Frankl, who was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust. Despite being faced with the worst of humanity, Dr. Frankl chose to interpret his situation on his own terms, writing that “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. ”[42] X Research source Instead of letting yourself immediately respond to a challenge or negative experience with negativity, take a step back and examine the situation. What really went wrong? What is really at stake? What can you learn from this to do differently next time? Has this experience taught you to be kinder, more generous, wiser, stronger? Taking a moment to reflect on the experience, rather than automatically seeing it as negative, will help you re-interpret it.

Smile. Research suggests that when you smile – whether you “feel” happy or not – your brain elevates your mood. [46] X Research source This is particularly true if you use a duchenne smile, which activates the muscles around your eyes as well as your mouth. People who smiled during painful medical procedures even reported less pain than people who didn’t. [47] X Research source Dress in a way that expresses yourself. What you wear affects how you feel. One study showed that people who wore lab coats while performing a simple scientific task performed much better than people who didn’t wear lab coats – even though the coat was the only difference![48] X Research source Find clothes that make you feel good about yourself and wear them, no matter what society tries to say about it. And don’t get hung up on investing your size with any meaning: clothing sizes are completely arbitrary, and one store’s size 4 is another store’s size 12. [49] X Research source [50] X Research source Remember, no random number determines your worth!

Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. [53] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source You don’t have to be a bodybuilder to get the effects of exercise, either. Even moderate exercises like jogging, swimming, or gardening can help you feel more positive overall. Exercises that include meditation, such as yoga and tai chi, can also help you feel more positive and increase your overall health. [54] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source [55] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School’s Educational Site for the Public Go to source

Positive emotions Engagement (getting really involved or swept up in something) Relationships with others Meaning Accomplishment Remember that you can define what these things mean for yourself! Don’t get hung up on what others have defined as “meaning” or “accomplishment. ” If you don’t find personal meaning in what you do and how you act, you won’t feel good about it. Material objects, fame, and money really won’t make you happy.

Listening to music. Listen to the genre you like. Reading. Reading is good for you. It can even teach you empathy. [59] X Research source And, if you’re reading non-fiction, it can help you learn new information and perspectives on the world. Creative expression, e. g. painting, writing, origami, etc. Sports, hobbies, etc. Being with friends and family. The awe-inspiring. Studies show that the feeling of awe or wonderment you experience when you’re walking in nature, viewing a stunning painting, or listening to your favorite symphony is great for your health, both physically and mentally. Find ways to incorporate a little wonder into your life whenever you can. [60] X Trustworthy Source Greater Good Magazine Journal published by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, which uses scientific research to promote happier living Go to source

Studies have shown that people who surround themselves with friends who have similar values and outlooks are more likely to feel happy and positive about their lives than people who don’t. [62] X Research source Interacting with people you love causes your brain to release neurotransmitters that make you feel happy (dopamine) and relaxed (serotonin). Spending time with friends and loved ones will actually make you feel more positive on a chemical level! You can also encourage your friends and loved ones to become your gratitude partners. If you foster a network of sharing things you’re grateful for, imagine the positivity that you can help each other develop!

Like leads to like. If we do something nice for someone else, especially if it’s unexpected, there’s a higher chance that person will pay the favor back, maybe not directly to us, but to someone else. Eventually, in a direct or indirect way, it’ll make its way back to us. Some people call this karma. Whatever it’s called, scientific studies have shown that the “pay it forward” principle is a real thing. [64] X Research source Try tutoring, volunteering, or ask your church how you can get involved. Make a microloan to someone in need. A microloan of even a few dollars to a person in a developing country can help her grow her business or become economically independent. And most microloans have 95+ repayment rates, too. [65] X Research source Try giving little gifts to people around you, even strangers. Buy a random person in line a cup of coffee. Send a friend something you made with him in mind. Giving gifts stimulates the production of dopamine in your brain – in fact, you may even get a bigger “happiness rush” from it than the person getting the gift![66] X Trustworthy Source Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Official peer-reviewed and multidisciplary journal for the National Academy of Sciences. Go to source

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. ― Anne Frank The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist fears this is true. ― James Branch Cabell The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude. ― Oprah Winfrey If you hear a voice within you say “you cannot paint,” then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced. ― Vincent Van Gogh

You can ask your physician for a referral, or check out directories online. If you have health insurance, your provider can tell you about counselors in your network. Low-cost options often exist. Check online for mental health clinics, community health centers, even public-service counseling centers run by colleges and universities.

Look for a licensed mental health professional, particularly one who specializes in treating trauma if you can find one. Working through your traumas with a counselor or therapist can be difficult, even painful, but you will emerge stronger and more positive at the end. [77] X Research source Cahill, S. P. , Rothbaum, B. O. , Resick, P. A. , & Follette, V. M. (2009). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for adults. In Effective Treatments for PTSD: Practice Guidelines from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Edna B. Foa, Terence M. Keane, Matthew J. Friedman, & Judith A. Cohen, Eds. (pp. 139-222). New York: The Guilford Press.