TOP TIPS

 Being optimistic means expecting good things to happen. This can be tough in such a negatively biased world. But the benefits can be great by overcoming negative thoughts and keeping a more optimistic outlook. Using these tips can help you to become more optimistic. 

1. Change Your Attitude
   Sometimes, forcing yourself to think optimistically can be the trigger your brain needs to set the pathways to that goal. Permit yourself to feel as though things will get better. The more you practice this, the more natural the feeling becomes.
   
2.  Reduce Your Exposure to Negativity
   There are many negative people in the world, and they feel that if they are negative, they should try to make you negative as well. Try to steer clear of these people as much as possible. If you can’t eliminate your exposure, try to reduce the amount of time spent with them. They will drain your energy and will make it harder to remain optimistic.
3. Think About What You Have Accomplished
   If you look at the successes you have had in life, you can reflect on them. These successes can be a great driving force in becoming more optimistic. Sometimes, we take for granted those successes. By reminding yourself of those accomplishments, you will see that as a positive.
4. Think About Others Who Are Not as Fortunate
   You want to do this more from the perspective of showing yourself that life could be worse. It’s not that you are trying to boast having a better life than others. But when you realize that others are not in a good place, you can use it as a basis to improve your optimism. Of course, if you are ever able to help those less fortunate, that is even more reason to be optimistic.
5. Reflect on the Important People in Your Life
   Having a good family and friends is something that everyone can be optimistic about. If you think about the people that are involved in the positive aspects of your life, it will be much easier to keep optimistic.
6. Think Happy Thoughts
   If you have ever seen the movie “The Sound of Music” you would be familiar with the song, “My Favorite Things.” It’s a song that shows the kids in the play how to think about aspects of their lives that make them happy. The kids use that song any time they need to lighten their mood.
7. It’s Okay to Feel Down
   There are simply going to be moments in time when you are feeling down. If this is not a normal state for you, don’t worry too much about those feelings. In fact, it’s best just to embrace them, knowing they won’t last. Use any of the suggestions from this article to try to bring you out of that state. Also, try to identify the events or triggers that put you in that mood. When you do this, you may be able to take steps to avoid them in the future.

 ACTIONABLE STEPS

1. Create a Happy List – It’s been shown that the act of writing down what you are happy about can alter your mood for the better. Every day, write down things that made you happy for the day.

2. Set up positive affirmations. Exposing yourself to positive affirmations is going to train your brain to think like that regularly.

3. Every week, help one person at work or in your community. Doing this will set up goodwill which you can use to be more optimistic. When you make the world a better place for those around you, it will reflect positively on you as well.