There’s no greater obstacle to being positive than our own mental structures. Our brain is set to be constantly alert for threats. It’s a survival mechanism that has been extremely useful for humankind for thousands of years.

Being positive can be learned. Once learned it becomes a habit. Image Source: Career Addict
Being positive can be learned. Once learned it becomes a habit. Image Source: Career Addict

This is why, still today, it’s hard for many to be positive. Being positive ends up being read by our mental framework as being wishful and even deceiving, sending a message that is understood by our survival system as unrealistic.

What was supposed to help us get through the hardships of survival long ago is now breeding ground for pessimism and negativity. The more we let our minds roam, more likely it will be looking for threats. These apparent menaces and hazards tend to aggravate the perception that things in general are going bad. In short, the same mechanism that is helpful when a real threat is imminent can wreck our lives.

Identifying negative thoughts is the first step to embrace a positive take on life. Image Source: CPL
Identifying negative thoughts is the first step to embrace a positive take on life. Image Source: CPL

This is because pessimism is unhealthy. People who embrace a brighter look at life are physically and mentally healthier than those that have a gloomier approach at things and situations in general.

Researchers in different universities and institutes have found out that pessimists suffer more cardiovascular diseases and are less immune to viruses.

Optimism and hopefulness are not only great for our health but also for our performance. Pessimists tend to avoid risks to an extent that they don’t risk at all, which is bad for performance. They also tend to be more fearful and they don’t believe in effort and hard work as a sure path toward success. It’s like even if they worked hard, things will not go well in the end.

If you consider yourself to be a pessimistic, there are a few attitudes that can help you revert that situation and make you take up a shinier approach in life.

1. Learn how to tell what’s real from what is not

Understanding that most of our negative thoughts are in fact no more than thoughts is the first step to stop the self-undermining discourse. When you realize that you are actually believing that these thoughts are facts, it’s time to stop and write them down. We mean literally stop whatever you’re doing and write them down wherever possible. That will make you slow down the negative thinking and give you some perspective to figure out if what you’re thinking is real. As you read your thoughts, a good sign that they aren’t accurate is if you find words such as always, never, worst, ever.

You may forget a phone number often, but it’s not very likely that you lose them always. You may not be able to express yourself in many situations, but you probably can verbalize your thoughts in some. Show a friend or someone you can trust these notes, and by doing so you will be able to realize that things are not so black and white as these words that impregnate your thought may indicate.

2. Look for a positive point to focus on

Once you have identified your excessive negativity, it’s time to help your brain learn how to focus on the positive. As with any cognitive process, it demands some conscious exercise at first, but once learned, it becomes natural. This exercise is easy when things are going well, but it becomes more difficult when our minds are flooded with negativity. Sometimes we are so immersed in negative thinking that it’s very hard to find positive examples of ourselves in the present. It’s ok, you should then pull back ones from the near past: yesterday, last week, last month, last year etc.

You can also focus on something that will happen soon and that you’re looking forward to. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous quote fits perfectly here:

”We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

What matters most here is that you chose a positive point to shift your focus to.

3. Breed gratitude

After you managed to identify your negative taking on the world and after you started shifting it into a positive understanding of the facts, it’s time to start being thankful.

Let’s put it simply. Gratitude is good for you. According to researchers, it improves your mood, it increases your energy, and it lessens your anxiety levels.

These are basic exercises but they are extremely powerful, since they work exactly on the root of negativeness. They have the force to change habits and once you put them to use you will start immediately reaping the benefits of positive thinking.