How to develop a positive mental attitude

How often do you feel positive? When life runs smoothly, it’s fairly easy to stay upbeat — but what about rainy days? A positive mental attitude can see us through various hardships and help us to better appreciate the good times that follow. It’s not always easy to build an optimistic outlook, but following our tips is a good place to start.

Build your self-esteem

Low self-esteem is a common problem. Like a lot of people believe, growing confidence is not about “toughening up”, rather it’s about turning around the negative mindset you may have about yourself. It’s important to address it before it impacts on your mental health.

Building your self-esteem requires hard work, time and — most importantly — an understanding of yourself. It isn’t just a case of “getting on with it” and ignoring your feelings; to the contrary, this can be extremely unhealthy.

Set aside half an hour every week to identify your strengths? You could, for example, write a list of your top qualities, and add to it during every regular session.

After a few weeks, ask yourself, would I look for these features in a friend? Of course, the answer will most likely be yes, helping you to see just how important you really are.

As a result, you won’t just stand to enhance your self-esteem — your general attitude toward life could become far more positive, too.

Recognize your resilience

You may not realize it, but you’re already a strong person. You’ve survived difficult times before and therefore you have every reason to believe that you will again. Remind yourself of this every day, and you could see a marked improvement in your overall outlook on life.

There will inevitably be times when you’re in a particularly low mood and really don’t feel like doing this – and that’s absolutely fine. Instead of trying to reject your emotions, acknowledge them. After all, our feelings are completely natural.

On days that seem particularly bleak, we can recognize our resilience by simply accepting how we currently feel. This practice in itself is a sign of emotional strength.

Apply the five years’ time rule

Sometimes, certain things seem more significant than they really area. In other words, it’s easy to make mountains out of molehills.

It’s particularly tempting to do this when we’re feeling tired, overworked or stressed. Let’s face it, we’ve all snapped at someone in the heat of the moment only to regret it once we’ve calmed down — or said something we later on wish we hadn’t.

But there is a simple way to avoid this. The next time you find yourself in a stressful situation, think, how will I feel about what I’m about to do or say in five years’ time?

Try and remove yourself from the scene — either by leaving the room or going outside. In doing so, you’ll give yourself the time and space to review the issue more objectively and consequently, you’ll be able to make a more logical decision.

Stay organised

Our confidence can be easily knocked, especially when we’re hit by unexpected events or change. Typically, the best way to deal with surprises is by building a solid foundation of support.

If you feel secure in the key aspects of your life — such as personal finance and your living space — you’ll be better able to cope with emotional ups and downs. So, to protect the fundamental parts of your life, you may want to get organising.

Sort your finances, and you can remove money issues from your list of things to worry about. When times get tough, you’ll feel safe in the knowledge that you’re financially protected — and this could help you to stay positive.

Likewise, if you keep a tidy home, you’ll be less likely to lose track of important items — and this could further enhance your optimism towards life.

Developing a positive mental attitude needn’t be hard. Follow these tips, and you could easily achieve this, and live life to the full as a result.