During the cold season come the longer nights, shorter days, more darkness and less sunshine. Do you feel maybe a little bit down or even slightly depressed? Are you a bit more negative than usual? Are you feeling more “grey” in these winter months?
If so, it is now a good time to have some positivity in your life and for the rest of 2016!
In this post, I would like to offer you 10 Powerful Pointers to increase your Positivity. For those of you Readers, who (sub-) consciously like to dwell into complaining, criticizing or remaining in a negative mood, you might want to stop reading here. 😉
Positivity, meaning a Positive Attitude, Positive Language or Positive Actions, is something natural to some, yet can be learned: some are born with a positive predisposition and a positive energy and aura; for others, it is still possible to acquire such an attitude or mind-set if they really wish so or are motivated to lead a more positive life.
Now, I invite to pay attention to your posture and to sit up straight while you continue reading.
Following are 10 powerful pointers to increase your positivity, in these three main areas:
- positive attitude
- positive language
- positive actions
First area: acquire a Positive Attitude and think positive thoughts. Wear your ‘green binoculars’, appreciate what you have in your life and laugh a lot.
- Wear ‘green binoculars’ – Adopt a positive attitude. Look at everything with some ‘green lenses’. Do not criticise and do not keep a negative attitude towards people, colleagues or neighbours that you do not like. Instead put on your ‘green binoculars’ and consciously see something positive in the other person. Make the (sometimes hard) effort to praise them and offer them a small yet sincere compliment. When you have a task to do, a project to start or to complete, look at the small parts that you actually like. Even when it seems hard at first, use your ‘green binoculars’ to look for some positive aspects you do enjoy about that task.
- Appreciate – Take some time, preferably daily, either in the morning when you wake up or at night before you fall asleep, to think about three things that you appreciate about your life in general. It should be your first thought in the morning or your last before you fall asleep. Just say to yourself, “I appreciate that I have…, that I am able to…, that I achieved…” For example, health is usually a very basic and elementary matter to be appreciative about when you have it, or to have a paying job, a nice home and shelter, a loving partner and someone who cares about you, one dear friend, exciting children, etc.
- Laugh – Laugh a lot. Laugh every day. Make others laugh. Ask yourself, “What makes me laugh and really laugh?” Not just a smile on your face. But laugh out loud. Lol! Ask yourself, “Who makes me laugh?” and “Which situations make me laugh?” and then recreate those. Laugh at least once a day. Laugh a lot. Laugh!
Second area, speak Positive Language and use positive words. Speak, hear and see positive things, turn things positive and offer solutions.
- Speak, listen and read only beautiful and positive things – Consciously speak positive words, give people honest compliments, praise your colleagues and staff once in a while and give frequently positive feedback. Try to listen to positive words. What does that mean? Do not listen to ‘bad gossip’, people telling you negative or bad issues about other people or matters that are none of your/their business, or simply about issues that make you feel bad and are out of your control. Rather make a conscious effort to listen to positive, inspiring people, and motivating, stimulating topics. Listen up when people tell you positive, nice things about You or others; that is ‘positive gossip’. Read positive things, i.e. about matters that make you feel better, you enjoy or make you develop yourself. Read some positive news as well. (Yes, there are websites dedicated to share the many positive news and events happening in the world!)
- Turn it positive – No matter what happens to You, and especially when something presumably ‘bad’ or ‘negative’ happens, start your sentence with the following words: “It’s good this happened, because…”, “Ca tombe bien, parce que…”, ”Das trifft sich gut, weil…”, “Qué bueno, porque…” etc. Translate this phrase in your native or everyday language, and try it out! When you make your brain think, “Oh, that’s actually good,” followed by the magic word “because,” you will focus your mind to think about what is actually or potentially good, positive or enriching for yourself – even in the worst moments of your work and life. This is a technique I noticed lived by ALL the positive leaders and managers, whom I know and had the privilege to meet; and interestingly also by positive and happy children, aged generally between 8-13! These individuals tend to “turn things positive” and chose to see the positive sides of things.
- Give solutions – Think about the solution, not about the problem. Do not complain about issues and do not focus on the negatives. Stop talking about them. Do not remain passive and constantly complaining. Rather be active, think about the options and then act upon a solution. Instead of the bothering little negatives, see the bigger picture and all the good and positive things. Ask yourself and speak up constructively, “How can I overcome this challenge?” “What would be other options for me to handle this task?” “What other alternatives can I choose?”
Third area: do Positive Actions. Do good positive things, meet positive people, play, sing, dance and sit up straight – hope you are still sitting straight, right? 🙂
- Do good, positive things – Make a conscious effort to do something nice or positive for someone else. Be kind to someone else, and give a little “gift.” This doesn’t have to be an actual present or a materialistic or expensive thing, but for example: do a service for somebody else; give them a ride across town; invite your colleague for lunch; lend your ear and your heart to someone who needs to talk; or give a gift and simply make someone happy.
- Meet positive people – Meet people, friends, colleagues who spread positive energy to you. Engage with those that spread joy, happiness and good vibes. Sometimes we are encaged by people who are negative, drag us down or drain our energy. They are the people who complain a lot, without doing efforts to improve their life, those that criticise us or someone else, e.g. their boss, partner, kids, colleagues, parents, etc., or those who just talk about depressing issues. Minimise your contact with them. If it this is the case for a good, dear friend or colleague of yours, try to turn her/him positive or constructive. But if that person prefers to stay in their negativity, move on and surround yourself rather with other people that shine positivity.
- Play, sing and dance – Just do something fun! Do something that makes you feel really happy, that gives you positive energy and that makes you feel you are in the “flow.” Feel the child in you. Listen to music you enjoy, dance like crazy when no one is watching and play games again. Have fun! Once in a while, whenever possible and appropriate, just put an uplifting song in the office and you will see positivity increase within minutes. In my seminars, when an exercise is called ‘a game’, many people’s eyes just light up and they feel excited, just thinking about playing fun games again.
- Stand up and sit up straight and look upwards – Now, let us see why I suggested you to sit up straight: physiognomically there has been lots of proof that physical posture has a large impact on our mental wellbeing. In order to have more positivity, sit straight when you are at your desk, straighten your back and put up your chest. Especially in moments of needs or when you feel bad, tilt your head upwards, towards the sun or the sky, and keep that posture for 90 seconds. Look up with your body, and your mind and soul will follow suit and look upwards too.
Now my final tip: These are many Pointers, some seem easier than others. All are manageable and simple, yet all are equally challenging and tough on a deep level. If you are seriously committed to increasing your Positivity, do the following: 1) print out this newsletter; 2) choose one of the above and try it consciously for only 3 days in a row, then try another, and another, etc.; and 3) tell a colleague or a friend about what you are doing and ask him/her for their support or to do it with you. If you do these in the next 30 days, you will smoothly, happily and positively flow into the New Year 2016. 🙂
Nexus Consulting 