It is not always easy to look at the glass as being half-full, especially if you are someone who has always seen things in a more pessimistic light. However, research has shown that having a more positive attitude has numerous health, social and mental benefits. An article in the Williamsport Sun-Gazette reports that "positive thinking may lead to success in business and personal endeavors." Other studies, such as one published by an affiliate of ABC News, have shown that having a positive attitude can contribute to maintaining better physical and mental health with age. Here are some tips on cultivating and maintaining a positive attitude.
Developing a Positive Attitude
Step 1
Become aware of your negative thought patterns. Most negative thinking occurs on a subconscious level, so we are not even usually aware that we are thinking negative thoughts. Become more conscious of the reasons behind your moods and emotions. Reflecting on why you feel a certain way when you're feeling pessimistic, instead of having a subconscious, knee-jerk reaction to situations or people is the first step in developing a more positive attitude. Self-reflection and introspection are important because they bring your unconscious beliefs and thought patterns to the conscious level.
Step 2
Change your negative beliefs. Our attitudes and thoughts about ourselves are usually established in childhood, and carry over into our adult lives even when they are no longer functional. They are often more destructive than helpful because they occur on the unconscious or subconscious level. Many people come from dysfunctional backgrounds, and we often take on the attitudes we learned from our parents or other family members we viewed as role models. Realize that you are no longer a child and that you do not have to maintain the negative attitude that you may have learned from your family. If you have a lot of difficulty with this, it can be helpful to seek professional counseling. Furthermore, try using positive affirmations every morning to replace negative thought patterns with positive ones. In the beginning, this can feel inauthentic or phony, but once you identify your negative beliefs and attitudes, it is important that you are consistent with replacing a negative belief with a positive one. Positive affirmations are also helpful with maintaining a positive self-esteem or for dealing with stress, and can be found online or in many self-help books.
Step 3
Examine your relationships. Do you tend to associate with people who leave you feeling happy and full of life, or do you gravitate towards people with a negative, pessimistic attitude? Remember the law of attraction, which states that we attract to ourselves that which we think about most. If you are attracting negative people into your life, it can be helpful to think about the reasons for this, and examine whether you subconsciously are getting something out of maintaining negative relationships. If you want to develop a more positive attitude, think about trying to make some new friendships with people who are more optimistic, and who leave you feeling better about yourself and life in general.
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