Train Your Mind to Positive Thought

Training your mind to practice positive thinking enables you to increase your self-esteem and perceived control in your life. Learning how your mind works and how to incorporate positive thoughts can help improve many areas, including work, family and social relationships. Improving your life through positive thinking, however, requires a proactive effort on your part to combat and change your current lifestyle and perceptual attitudes.



> Identify the internal negative thought patterns your mind uses. Types of negative thought patterns include: personalizing (blaming yourself), filtering (focusing only on the negative) and catastrophizing (anticipating the worst and blowing negative events out of proportion). Think of concrete examples in your own life in which you internalized problems and used these patterns to think negatively about situations.

> Practice positive self-talk. Think of a negative situation which you encountered over the past day or week. Turn the negative thoughts you had about the event into positive thoughts. For example, perhaps you experienced a flat tire on your way home from work. Instead of catastrophizing the event, find a way to spin it into a positive experience (e.g., you gained the important skill of changing a flat tire). Practice this positive self-talk for several negative situations or events that you've experienced to get into the habit of training your mind towards a different thinking pattern.

> Evaluate your thoughts throughout the days and weeks that follow. Periodically stop throughout the day to review your internal thoughts to determine if they have been mostly negative or positive. Think rationally about the negative thoughts which you do encounter. Find ways to spin those negative thoughts and train your mind to see them in a positive light.

> Create a positive thoughts journal. Spend time each evening or morning reflecting and writing down good things that have happened in your life or throughout the day. Acknowledging good events and positive experiences then writing them down helps improve your thinking habits and trains your mind to think positively.

> Find healthy ways to deal with stressful events and situations. Develop and keep an exercise routine several times a week. Exercise and regular physical activity stimulate brain chemicals that improve your mood and boost energy levels, according to the Mayo Clinic. Spend time each day in meditation, focusing on clearing your mind and on relaxation. Meditation decreases the negative effects of stress and rejuvenates the mind and body.

> Surround yourself with positive friends and family members. Negative people who continually focus on the bad and are unsupportive may only re-enforce negative thinking habits. Alternatively, making friends with and spending time with supportive individuals may help you achieve clarity when troubling situations arise.

Cope with Life Altering Changes

If you are dealing with a major life change, whether it's a new job, a bad boss, a break up or divorce, being diagnosed with a disorder or disease, moving across country--you can cope! Here's how:

courtesy:wikihow.com

Keep in close contact with friends and family. If need be, clean the numbers of those "fair-weather" friends out of your cell phone. Only true friends will stick around and help you get through life altering changes, everyone else will just take up your valuable time or add more stress to your already crazy life. Talk with your close friends and family. You may be surprised of their wisdom.

Make quiet time for yourself. Taking the time to recharge your batteries will help you be better prepared in times of crisis. Listen to soft, relaxing music. Turn off the computer, TV and phone. Learn to meditate. Meditation helps clear the constant "chatter" in your head.

If you have been diagnosed with a disease or disorder such as depression or ADHD, learn as much as you can about it. It is helpful to find a doctor who specializes in that area who can prescribe you the right kinds of treatments. Look in to medications that could help you and take on a holistic approach to your condition. Look at the way you live your life, what kinds of habits have you formed? What could you do to change these habits or acquire healthier ones? This is rough at first, but will get easier as time passes.

Join an interest group or church. This can help you connect with people who share a similar interest and maybe provide a wider network of support. There are many churches that sponsor support groups for coping with life changes. You can also research support/interest groups on the internet.

Think positively. Live life one day at a time. Set small goals for yourself and reward yourself when you reach them. Sometimes looking too much at a long term goal can be overwhelming. Break up the larger goal into smaller goals.

Do something fun! This can take your mind off stressful events. Visit a friend you haven't seen in a long time. Go see that movie you've been dying to see. Take a trip to the zoo or go to a museum. Learn something new.

Learn how to say no. If you are already stretched thin, learn how to recognize this and assertively say no when someone asks you for another favor. You don't have to give them reasons why.

Volunteer. Helping those who are in worse situations than you can really put things into perspective. Help out at a local nursing home or hospital. Join a mentoring program. Help out a friend in need or a family member. Donate money to your favorite charity.

Find your own personal Higher Power. I'm not saying you have to go join a church or become a devout religious person. Picture a divine higher power that you can give your problems to and take over when you are worn out. You can't control every aspect of your life. This is impossible, so simply hand it to your personal Higher Power.