All your feelings, beliefs and knowledge are based on your conscious and subconscious thoughts, and you possess the ability to control your thoughts, according to Donald Martin, author of "How to be a Successful Student." Your current attitudes, positive or negative, are the result of many factors, including parental feedback and the influence of friends and society, which create your self-image and inform your worldview. There are many ways to help you create a positive attitude, such as surrounding yourself with uplifting people, optimizing your health and practicing meditation.
Choose Friends Wisely
It's important for you to make more time for the positive people in your life, surrounding yourself with upbeat friends that lift you up when you're feeling down, according to SelfGrowth.com. Positive-minded friends encourage you to be your true self and do not judge your every action or word. Such friends will inquire about the events of your life and listen to your worries, concerns, hopes and dreams while offering support and encouragement. Around positive-minded friends, it's easier to cultivate and nurture a positive attitude. If you're exposed to negative thinkers on a regular basis, you're likely to experience feelings of discontent and cynicism, and your attitude may take on these characteristics. Minimizing your exposure to negative friends or coworkers is an important way to protect yourself from psychological abuse, fatigue and the onset of negative feelings or emotions. Until the negative people in your life begin turning their attitudes around, consider surrounding yourself with as many supportive people as possible.
Improve Health
The Mayo Clinic states that optimistic people experience the following health benefits: An increased lifespan, reduced likelihood of depression and cardiovascular disease, lower levels of distress, improved resistance to the common cold, better overall well-being physically and psychologically, and a heightened ability to cope with stress. According to the Mayo Clinic, it's unclear why people with positive attitudes experience these beneficial health effects, although it may be associated with a better ability to handle stress, which buffers the problematic health effects of stress on your various body systems. It's also believed that optimistic people are more likely to engage in health-related activities, such as regular exercise participation, consumption of a healthy diet and decreased exposure to tobacco smoke. To create a positive attitude and reduce your overall stress burden, the Mayo Clinic suggests that you exercise three times a week, eat a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body and learn ways to manage your stress.
Practice Meditation & Recite Affirmations
According to a 2007 study published in the "Annals of Behavioral Medicine" that examined the effects of mindfulness meditation and relaxation training, brief training in mindfulness meditation or somatic relaxation helps lower your distress and can help you create a positive mood state. Meditation is a constructive way of emptying your mind of negative thoughts, and is practiced by many people to transform the problems and challenges associated with a busy lifestyle into happiness, optimism and personal growth. According to SelfGrowth.com, reciting affirmations--short, powerful phrases that encompass everything you think, say, believe and feel--is another helpful way to achieve a positive attitude. Affirmations can help you end bad habits and develop healthy behaviors, achieve thought clarity, move toward your goals, keep you centered and calm and create a positive mental outlook.
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