A positive mindset helps you survive crises and stay on track. Learn how to learn to think positively in this article.
Table of contents
1. What is a mindset?
A mindset is defined as a collection of beliefs . Beliefs, in turn, are deeply embedded basic assumptions and convictions about yourself, other people , and your interactions with the environment.
Many people mistakenly believe that our beliefs are unchangeable. In fact, the opposite is true: Through the unique structure of our minds , we can actively work to break down negative mechanisms and positively change our mindset .
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2. Why is a positive mindset so important?
Your attitude toward the world around you always shapes your experience. If your attitude is based on negative assumptions , your focus will automatically fall on the negative aspects of life.
A negative mindset can lead you to perceive situations as stressful, unsatisfying, hurtful, or even irritating. This limits your scope for interpretation and often also your scope for action . The result of a very negative mindset is therefore often a certain passivity.
If you instead try to understand why you developed certain negative beliefs instead of simply accepting them at face value, you can subsequently influence your mindset positively. You may also know this process as "reprogramming" [1]. This will also have a lasting impact on your experience of the world around you.
3. 11 tips for a positive mindset
1) Get to know your inner critic
We all know it: that persistent voice that whispers to us that we're not good, smart, or beautiful enough. The voice that tells us we shouldn't even try because it always goes wrong anyway. The voice of our inner critic.
If you want to develop a positive mindset, the first step is always to examine that voice. Where does it come from? Are these perhaps the embodied statements of a strict parent? Or a teacher from your school days? Only when you understand why you're so critical of yourself can you actively work on changing your mindset for the better.
2) Practice gratitude
An absolute must for anyone who wants to think more positively! There are a variety of very different practices that can be easily integrated into everyday life. The most popular are gratitude meditation and the gratitude journal.
Journaling, in particular, has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety , and other negative emotions . Writing at the beginning or end of each day also helps you focus on the positive things in your life [2].
This improves your mood and, in the long run, focuses your attention on the good things in life. After all, one of the best positive mindset sayings is: "Where focus goes, energy flows."
3) Meditation
Meditation, like gratitude, is a core part of the routines of many successful people . We now also know that a meditation practice of about 10 to 20 minutes a day can help reduce stress and find your inner center.
In addition, meditation also improves your ability to concentrate and not be distracted by emerging thoughts. Through meditation, you learn to simply let thoughts flow freely, without having to hold on to them or judge them [3].
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4) Practice mindfulness in all moments
Gratitude and meditation have also become known as "mindfulness practices . " They involve actively paying attention to the moment , your body , your feelings , and your surroundings .
Regularly take time in your daily life to simply be and notice what's happening. Those who regularly practice mindfulness, radical acceptance, and presence are much calmer in dealing with conflicts and generally less reactive [4]. This naturally also benefits your general mental health , as it allows you to continually find inner peace [5].
5) Surround yourself with positive people
Chronic complainers, doubters, and haters rarely bring good vibes. In fact, research is now even showing whether associating with negative or manipulative people impairs your ability to form positive relationships. They trigger your stress response, making it even more difficult for you to let go of your own negative tendencies [6].
However , interacting with positive people follows the same pattern: The more you focus on positive relationships, the better your mood will be. If you focus on the optimistic and supportive people in your life, it will become increasingly easier for you to show your best side [7].
6) Get inspired – from books or podcasts
Show your mind anew every day what's possible! Mental stimulation and contact with potential role models are extremely expansive for your mindset. Your brain realizes, "Aha, so this is possible." This is not only inspiring, it also reinforces positive neural structures that help you overcome self-doubt.
A very good positive mindset book is "101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think" by Brianna Wiest. An exciting podcast in this context is "The Happiness Lab" by Dr. Laurie Santos, who has conducted extensive research on happiness and contentment.
7) Limit your access to negative content
This applies on the one hand to the Daily News, but on the other hand also to blogs or series and films that paint a rather dark picture of the world.
It may feel a bit ignorant at first, but in many cases it's necessary to counteract the mass of negative information we're confronted with every day. Especially if you want to actively improve your mindset, you need positive reinforcement, not negative!
8) Set clear goals and work towards them
Setting and pursuing goals is crucial to supporting positive thinking ! When you regularly achieve success and good performance, your brain releases the reward hormone dopamine .
This puts you in a good mood. If you regularly feed your body such rewards, you'll automatically become more satisfied and feel significantly more effective and productive. Productivity makes you happy!
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9) Celebrate your successes
This is often underestimated, especially among high performers: You rush from one goal to the next. This can make you successful—but it can also make you unhappy. No, you shouldn't settle for less, but you should still be able to pause for a moment and celebrate your successes.
This, by the way, corresponds to point 1: Only those who are grateful for the good things become more sensitive to recognizing other good things. If you praise yourself and treat yourself occasionally, you'll stay motivated in the long run to keep going and recognize new opportunities that you might otherwise have missed.
10) Try something new more often
Exploration and adventure always put you in a good mood. This also stimulates your brain's dopamine production. If you have a lot of routines, for example, you may well fall into a rut from time to time.
What helps your productivity can sometimes stifle your creativity and thus your zest for life. So, feel free to step back from time to time and try something new, especially on the weekend . This way, you'll remain open and flexible despite your commitment to consistency and self-discipline.
11) Experiment with affirmations
Affirmations are positive self-statements . You can write them down by collecting attributes you want to embody, or listen to them as a guided meditation while you sleep, allowing them to penetrate deep into your subconscious.
It's also very effective to repeat your affirmations daily in front of the mirror. You can also write down a positive intention in your journal each day that you want to live by throughout the day. This way, you can give yourself a good feeling and actively work toward living up to your desired ideals [8].
4. Stay realistic
Let's be honest: If things aren't going well, they're not going well. And you have to be able to recognize and accept that. There's a crucial difference between a positive mindset and sugarcoating unpleasant situations.
Stay realistic and don't use your positive mindset as an excuse to maintain the status quo. Recognizing that a situation isn't good for you or that you've misbehaved is at least as important for your personal development as the ability to maintain a constructive attitude .
5. Conclusion
Our minds are wired to recognize patterns and classify anything that fits them as "true." So, if you expose yourself to daily evidence that there's a lot of bad in the world, you're also reinforcing your tendency toward pessimism.
If you consciously try to surround yourself with positive messages, people, and thoughts, your mindset will also improve. In particular, consciously turning to yourself in the form of mindfulness and gratitude will support you in returning to yourself again and again in everyday life and accepting unpleasant things without having to cling to them.
6. Sources
[1] Fredrickson, BL (2001), The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology: The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions, The American Psychologist, Volume 56, Issue 3, p. 218 - 226, https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0003-066X.56.3.218 .
[2] Sansone, RA; Sansone, LA (2010), Gratitude and Well Being: The Benefits of Appreciation, Psychiatry (Edgmont), Volume 7, Issue 11, p. 18 - 22, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21191529/ .
[3] Sharma, H. (2015), Meditation: Process and effects, Ayu Journal: An International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda, Volume 36, Issue 3, p. 233 - 237, http://www.ayujournal.org/article.asp?issn=0974-8520;year=2015;volume=36;issue=3;spage=233;epage=237;aulast=Sharma .
[4] Fassbinder, E.; Schweiger, U.; [...]; Arntz, A. (2016), Emotion Regulation in Schema Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Frontiers in Psychology, Volume 7, p. 1373, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01373/full .
[5] Keng S.-L.; Smoski, M.J.; Robins, CJ (2011), Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Health: A Review of Empirical Studies, Clinical Psychology Review, Volume 31, Issue 6, p. 1041 - 1056, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S027273581100081X?via%3Dihub .
[6] Lincoln, KD (2000), Social Support, Negative Social Interactions, and Psychological Well-Being, The Social Service Review, Volume 74, Issue 2, p. 231 - 252, https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/514478 .
[7] Banks, A. (2015), Wired to Connect: The Surprising Link Between Brain Science and Strong, Healthy Relationships, Penguin Random House LLC.
[8] Cascio, C.N.; O'Donnell, MB; [...]; Falk, EB (2016), Self-affirmation activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future orientation, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Volume 11, Issue 4, p. 621 - 629, published online: https://academic.oup.com/scan/article/11/4/621/2375054 .
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