{"id":9004111222261315,"date":"2019-10-28T05:00:02","date_gmt":"2019-10-28T05:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/?p=9004111222261315"},"modified":"2025-04-02T06:13:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T06:13:10","slug":"how-to-leverage-power-of-positive-thinking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/how-to-leverage-power-of-positive-thinking\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Leverage the Power of Positive Thinking"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cThink positive\u201d.<br \/>\n\u201cBelieve in yourself\u201d.<br \/>\n\u201cManifest your success\u201d.<br \/>\n\u201cWhat you dream you can achieve\u201d.<br \/>\n\u201cChoose happy\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>These are but a few of the popular anthems of today.<\/p>\n<p>To some, they may seem like phrases for the woo-woo. But in fact, there\u2019s a lot to be said for the power of positive thinking.<br \/>\nBefore we get into the benefits of positive thinking, though, let\u2019s first talk about what it is and why you should care.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Positive thinking is a mindset, or mental attitude, in which you naturally believe good outcomes will result from your actions<\/strong>. It\u2019s that \u201cglass half full\u201d analogy we love to reference.<\/p>\n<p>Positive thinkers are eternal optimists who choose to view life through rose-colored glasses, instead of focusing on the negative. They approach every situation with a confidence that things will work out in the end. When things don\u2019t go as planned, they focus on the positive, extracting learnings instead of seeing falling short as a failure.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Positive Thinking Is Important<\/h2>\n<p>Research shows that there are many, many benefits to adopting a positive mindset. Being positive can improve overall health and well-being. It can also help you become more resilient and adept at handling anything life throws your way.<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/healthy-lifestyle\/stress-management\/in-depth\/positive-thinking\/art-20043950\" rel=\"noopener\">Mayo Clinic<\/a> and WebMD, positive thinking can offer a variety of physical and mental benefits including:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-9004111222264314 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/power-of-positive-thinking-benefits.png\" alt=\"Power of Positive Thinking Benefits\" width=\"960\" height=\"916\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/power-of-positive-thinking-benefits.png 960w, https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/power-of-positive-thinking-benefits-300x286.png 300w, https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/power-of-positive-thinking-benefits-768x733.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/>There have also been several studies on the effects of positive thinking, including the following findings:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2016\/12\/optistic-women-live-longer-are-healthier\/\" rel=\"noopener\">2016 study<\/a> conducted by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, women who adopted an optimistic mindset had a much lower risk of dying from cancer, stroke, heart disease, infection, and respiratory disease than women who were less optimistic.<\/li>\n<li>In another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0005796715300814\" rel=\"noopener\">study<\/a>, people diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder were told to visualize positive outcomes instead of worrying (a typical symptom of people with GAD) for one week. At the end of that time, they showed a significant reduction in their overall anxiety.<\/li>\n<li>Researchers from the University of Kentucky examined biographies from a group of nuns who lived in a convent together in the 1930s, rating their autobiographies on a scale of positivity. They then contacted the surviving nuns 60 years later, who were by that time, between the ages of 75 and 90. They found that the nuns who were still living were also the most positive of the bunch!<\/li>\n<li>Another study\u00a0concluded that people who were infected with HIV and maintained a <a href=\"https:\/\/repository.usfca.edu\/cgi\/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&amp;httpsredir=1&amp;article=1030&amp;context=soe_fac\" rel=\"noopener\">positive outlook<\/a> carried a lower load of the virus, were more likely to take their medication as instructed, and did not need antidepressants.<\/li>\n<li>Positivity is contagious. The study above also found \u201cin pilot testing this intervention we learned that participants were not the only ones whose positive affect increased; facilitators, staff, and investigators also experienced increases in positive affect.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Pretty amazing, right?<\/p>\n<p>No one knows for sure exactly how positive thinking positively impacts health and wellness, but there are two prevailing theories:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Positive thinking may help people cope better in stressful situations, thereby minimizing the dangerous health effects stress can have on the body.<\/li>\n<li>Positive people may generally lead healthier lifestyles\u2014embracing nutritious foods and physical activity and avoiding alcohol, cigarettes, and other harmful behaviors.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Understanding Positive Thinking<\/h2>\n<p><em>Okay<\/em>, you may be thinking, <em>but how does positive thinking work<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p>It all goes back to what you believe.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you want to become a more positive person, you must first change your beliefs\u2014the scripts in your head that you hold as true.<\/strong> This can be achieved by reframing your thoughts from negative to positive through a process of choice and sustained repetition. In short, you need to turn positive thinking into an unconscious habit.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re a bit of a pessimist, the great thing is you can absolutely change that! As Marie Forleo points out in her new book <em>Everything is Figureoutable<\/em>, <strong>\u201cAny limiting belief can be erased and replaced. Best of all, changing your beliefs doesn\u2019t have to be hard, it just takes awareness, desire, and practice.\u201d<br \/>\n<\/strong><br \/>\nYou can quite literally \u201crewire\u201d your brain to live your better than ever life. How <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/programs\/become-a-health-coach\/\">motivational<\/a><\/strong> is that?<\/p>\n<h2>How to Adopt a Positive Mindset<\/h2>\n<p>As we mentioned above, there are three central steps to changing your mindset: awareness, desire, and practice. Let\u2019s break them down&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><strong>STEP 1: AWARENESS<\/strong><br \/>\nStart by developing a practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness is a state of heightened mental awareness and presence that is achieved through focused concentration, stillness, and meditation. Practicing mindfulness can help you slow down, recognize when intrusive thoughts creep in, and learn to let them go for good. With mindfulness, instead of allowing yourself to be hijacked by your thoughts and holding them as true, you learn to pay close attention to them. So start by noticing what beliefs are playing on repeat inside your head and any harmful thought patterns you\u2019d like to change.<br \/>\n<strong>STEP 2: DESIRE<\/strong><br \/>\nNext, you need to decide that these negative and fear-based beliefs aren\u2019t serving you and make a conscious choice to let them go. Once you make the decision that you want to think differently, your thoughts will start to move in that direction. This will take some work, but we promise it will be well worth it! (After all, what\u2019s better than being healthy and happy?!)<br \/>\n<strong>STEP 3: PRACTICE<\/strong><br \/>\nFinally, it\u2019s time to practice, practice, practice training your brain to adopt a new belief system of positivity. Don\u2019t let the word \u201cpractice\u201d deter you&#8230;this work can be fun! What this entails is surrounding yourself in a cozy bubble of positivity. If, for instance, you struggle with confidence, recite an affirmation to yourself, like \u201cI am confident and courageous!\u201d Say it to yourself as often as humanly possible\u2014when you wake up, in the shower, while you\u2019re making breakfast, while driving to work, while you\u2019re working out\u2014until the thought becomes an unconscious belief deep within. To reinforce the belief, make that message as highly visible as possible in your daily existence. Make it your screensaver on your phone, your wallpaper on your laptop&#8230;you get the idea. Take it one step further by committing to write out your new belief over and over in a notebook, filling a page a day.<\/p>\n<h2>10 Ways to Develop a Positive Mindset<\/h2>\n<p>Here are some tangible ways you can cultivate a more positive mindset.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Write\/Journal<\/strong><br \/>\nGratitude journaling is a great way to shift your focus to the positive. You can buy a gratitude journal or easily create your own with a blank notebook. We recommend sitting down with your journal in the morning or evening and writing down 3-5 things (big or small) that you\u2019re grateful for. Another great exercise is to list 3-5 things that went well that day. Again, they don\u2019t have to be anything earth-shattering. Making note of even the smallest achievements can help you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/motivational\/attitude-of-gratitude-2-2\/\" rel=\"noopener\">become more optimistic<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Embrace Affirmations<\/strong><br \/>\nAffirmations\u2014or empowering positive statements\u2014can help you internalize positive thinking. Consider buying a deck of affirmation cards, downloading an affirmation to use as a laptop or phone screensaver, or hanging some wall art&#8230;the more you see positive statements, the more thinking them will become natural and a force of habit!<\/li>\n<li><strong>Consume Positive Content<\/strong><br \/>\nIn the same vein, exposing yourself to positive podcasts, books, social media accounts,\u00a0and other types of content can help you harness the power of positive thinking. Take the time to unfollow or \u201chide\u201d people if you find yourself being negative affected by them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Meditate<\/strong><br \/>\nStudies have shown that people who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3156028\/\" rel=\"noopener\">meditate<\/a> on a daily basis display more positive emotions than their non-practicing counterparts. By focusing your attention on a constant (like taking long, deep breaths), meditation can help you anchor yourself in the present and reach a calm and relaxed state. So make like a tree (pose).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Exercise and Eat Right<\/strong><br \/>\nThe mind-body connection is super important when it comes to feeling good on the daily. Taking care of yourself physically can have an enormous impact on how we feel mentally. So make it a habit to be active for even 15-minutes a day and eat a nutritious diet.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hang With Positive Friends<\/strong><br \/>\nSpend more time with the positive people in your life and you\u2019ll be a lot more likely to lean toward optimism yourself&#8230;it\u2019s contagious! If positivity is rare in your circle, find local groups, or take up a new hobby and seek out like-minded friends who always look on the bright side.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Stop Comparing<\/strong><br \/>\nYou likely know this, but the comparison game is harmful and usually only highlights the things we don\u2019t have. Instead, focus on what you do have and how you are already blessed. Instead of looking at your weaknesses, ask yourself what your strengths are. Celebrate them! Be proud of them. So, stop beating yourself up about how successful Shelly is and how behind you are. In fact, don\u2019t worry about Shelly at all!<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practice Self-Care <\/strong><br \/>\nSchedule intentional time out weekly to take care of yourself and do things that make you happy. Hobbies, relaxation, and play are all activities that fan the flames of happiness.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Do Something Good <\/strong><br \/>\nFind a cause you believe in and get involved. Being part of something that\u2019s bigger than you is a great way to increase those feel-good feelings. Take a look at <strong>volunteermatch.org<\/strong>\u00a0to see what best suits your serving style and find out where you are needed most.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reframe Your Thoughts <\/strong><br \/>\nPositive thinkers view failure as a learning opportunity and setbacks as challenges for them to tackle and approach from a new angle. So make it a regular practice to reframe difficult situations and look for the silver lining. Ask yourself, <em>what can this experience teach me? How can I grow from this?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Final Thoughts on Embracing the Power of Positivity<\/strong><br \/>\nPersistence pays off. Will there be tough times? Of course. It\u2019s not realistic or even possible to never have a sad or negative thought again\u2014you are human after all. But be persistent in your path to positivity and we promise\u2014your mind will follow suit.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Join Health Coach Institute and Become a Health Coach<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coaching is a great career that you can help others, while also learning how to help your own personal growth. Health Coach Institute is a top health and wellness coaching certification program. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/programs\/health-coach\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Join our Become a Health Coach program<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and begin coaching in 6 months! If you are already a coach and want to advance your skills, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/programs\/pathway\/\">HCI\u2019s Pathway program<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Feel free to get in touch with with one of our clarity coaches directly, by calling <\/span><a href=\"tel:+18003032399\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1-800-303-2399<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cThink positive\u201d. \u201cBelieve in yourself\u201d. \u201cManifest your success\u201d. \u201cWhat you dream you can achieve\u201d. \u201cChoose happy\u201d. These are but a few of the popular anthems of today. To some, they may seem like phrases for the woo-woo. But in fact, there\u2019s a lot to be said for the power of positive thinking. Before we get [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9004111222272142,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[188],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9004111222261315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.1 (Yoast SEO v25.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Power of Positive Thinking is Undeniable | Health Coach Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn to harness the power of positive thinking. This is not just about reciting mantras. You have the power to rewire your brain. Here&#039;s how.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/how-to-leverage-power-of-positive-thinking\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Leverage the Power of Positive Thinking\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cThink positive\u201d. \u201cBelieve in yourself\u201d. \u201cManifest your success\u201d. \u201cWhat you dream you can achieve\u201d. \u201cChoose happy\u201d. 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This is not just about reciting mantras. You have the power to rewire your brain. Here's how.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/how-to-leverage-power-of-positive-thinking\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Leverage the Power of Positive Thinking","og_description":"\u201cThink positive\u201d. \u201cBelieve in yourself\u201d. \u201cManifest your success\u201d. \u201cWhat you dream you can achieve\u201d. \u201cChoose happy\u201d. These are but a few of the popular","og_url":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/how-to-leverage-power-of-positive-thinking\/","og_site_name":"Holistic Health and Wellness Training | Health Coach Institute","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/healthcoachinst","article_published_time":"2019-10-28T05:00:02+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-04-02T06:13:10+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2200,"height":1466,"url":"https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/power-of-positivity.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Health Coach Institute","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@healthcoachinst","twitter_site":"@healthcoachinst","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Health Coach Institute","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/how-to-leverage-power-of-positive-thinking\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/how-to-leverage-power-of-positive-thinking\/"},"author":{"name":"Health Coach Institute","@id":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d748454cea79cc97d1b565667ff2c6af"},"headline":"How to Leverage the Power of Positive Thinking","datePublished":"2019-10-28T05:00:02+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-02T06:13:10+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/how-to-leverage-power-of-positive-thinking\/"},"wordCount":1778,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/how-to-leverage-power-of-positive-thinking\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/power-of-positivity.jpg","articleSection":["Community"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/how-to-leverage-power-of-positive-thinking\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/how-to-leverage-power-of-positive-thinking\/","url":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/how-to-leverage-power-of-positive-thinking\/","name":"The Power of Positive Thinking is Undeniable | Health Coach Institute","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/how-to-leverage-power-of-positive-thinking\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/how-to-leverage-power-of-positive-thinking\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/power-of-positivity.jpg","datePublished":"2019-10-28T05:00:02+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-02T06:13:10+00:00","description":"Learn to harness the power of positive thinking. 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But in fact, there\u2019s a lot to be said for the power of positive thinking.\nBefore we get into the benefits of positive thinking, though, let\u2019s first talk about what it is and why you should care.\n\n<strong>Positive thinking is a mindset, or mental attitude, in which you naturally believe good outcomes will result from your actions<\/strong>. It\u2019s that \u201cglass half full\u201d analogy we love to reference.\n\nPositive thinkers are eternal optimists who choose to view life through rose-colored glasses, instead of focusing on the negative. They approach every situation with a confidence that things will work out in the end. When things don\u2019t go as planned, they focus on the positive, extracting learnings instead of seeing falling short as a failure.\n<h2>Why Positive Thinking Is Important<\/h2>\nResearch shows that there are many, many benefits to adopting a positive mindset. Being positive can improve overall health and well-being. It can also help you become more resilient and adept at handling anything life throws your way.\n\nAccording to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/healthy-lifestyle\/stress-management\/in-depth\/positive-thinking\/art-20043950\" rel=\"noopener\">Mayo Clinic<\/a> and WebMD, positive thinking can offer a variety of physical and mental benefits including:\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-9004111222264314 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/power-of-positive-thinking-benefits.png\" alt=\"Power of Positive Thinking Benefits\" width=\"960\" height=\"916\" \/>There have also been several studies on the effects of positive thinking, including the following findings:\n<ul>\n \t<li>According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2016\/12\/optistic-women-live-longer-are-healthier\/\" rel=\"noopener\">2016 study<\/a> conducted by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, women who adopted an optimistic mindset had a much lower risk of dying from cancer, stroke, heart disease, infection, and respiratory disease than women who were less optimistic.<\/li>\n \t<li>In another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0005796715300814\" rel=\"noopener\">study<\/a>, people diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder were told to visualize positive outcomes instead of worrying (a typical symptom of people with GAD) for one week. At the end of that time, they showed a significant reduction in their overall anxiety.<\/li>\n \t<li>Researchers from the University of Kentucky examined biographies from a group of nuns who lived in a convent together in the 1930s, rating their autobiographies on a scale of positivity. They then contacted the surviving nuns 60 years later, who were by that time, between the ages of 75 and 90. They found that the nuns who were still living were also the most positive of the bunch!<\/li>\n \t<li>Another study\u00a0concluded that people who were infected with HIV and maintained a <a href=\"https:\/\/repository.usfca.edu\/cgi\/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&amp;httpsredir=1&amp;article=1030&amp;context=soe_fac\" rel=\"noopener\">positive outlook<\/a> carried a lower load of the virus, were more likely to take their medication as instructed, and did not need antidepressants.<\/li>\n \t<li>Positivity is contagious. The study above also found \u201cin pilot testing this intervention we learned that participants were not the only ones whose positive affect increased; facilitators, staff, and investigators also experienced increases in positive affect.\"<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nPretty amazing, right?\n\nNo one knows for sure exactly how positive thinking positively impacts health and wellness, but there are two prevailing theories:\n<ol>\n \t<li>Positive thinking may help people cope better in stressful situations, thereby minimizing the dangerous health effects stress can have on the body.<\/li>\n \t<li>Positive people may generally lead healthier lifestyles\u2014embracing nutritious foods and physical activity and avoiding alcohol, cigarettes, and other harmful behaviors.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Understanding Positive Thinking<\/h2>\n<em>Okay<\/em>, you may be thinking, <em>but how does positive thinking work<\/em>?\n\nIt all goes back to what you believe.\n\n<strong>If you want to become a more positive person, you must first change your beliefs\u2014the scripts in your head that you hold as true.<\/strong> This can be achieved by reframing your thoughts from negative to positive through a process of choice and sustained repetition. In short, you need to turn positive thinking into an unconscious habit.\n\nIf you\u2019re a bit of a pessimist, the great thing is you can absolutely change that! As Marie Forleo points out in her new book <em>Everything is Figureoutable<\/em>, <strong>\u201cAny limiting belief can be erased and replaced. Best of all, changing your beliefs doesn\u2019t have to be hard, it just takes awareness, desire, and practice.\u201d\n<\/strong>\nYou can quite literally \u201crewire\u201d your brain to live your better than ever life. How <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/programs\/become-a-health-coach\/\">motivational<\/a><\/strong> is that?\n<h2>How to Adopt a Positive Mindset<\/h2>\nAs we mentioned above, there are three central steps to changing your mindset: awareness, desire, and practice. Let\u2019s break them down...\n\n<strong>STEP 1: AWARENESS<\/strong>\nStart by developing a practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness is a state of heightened mental awareness and presence that is achieved through focused concentration, stillness, and meditation. Practicing mindfulness can help you slow down, recognize when intrusive thoughts creep in, and learn to let them go for good. With mindfulness, instead of allowing yourself to be hijacked by your thoughts and holding them as true, you learn to pay close attention to them. So start by noticing what beliefs are playing on repeat inside your head and any harmful thought patterns you\u2019d like to change.\n<strong>STEP 2: DESIRE<\/strong>\nNext, you need to decide that these negative and fear-based beliefs aren\u2019t serving you and make a conscious choice to let them go. Once you make the decision that you want to think differently, your thoughts will start to move in that direction. This will take some work, but we promise it will be well worth it! (After all, what\u2019s better than being healthy and happy?!)\n<strong>STEP 3: PRACTICE<\/strong>\nFinally, it\u2019s time to practice, practice, practice training your brain to adopt a new belief system of positivity. Don\u2019t let the word \u201cpractice\u201d deter you...this work can be fun! What this entails is surrounding yourself in a cozy bubble of positivity. If, for instance, you struggle with confidence, recite an affirmation to yourself, like \u201cI am confident and courageous!\u201d Say it to yourself as often as humanly possible\u2014when you wake up, in the shower, while you\u2019re making breakfast, while driving to work, while you\u2019re working out\u2014until the thought becomes an unconscious belief deep within. To reinforce the belief, make that message as highly visible as possible in your daily existence. Make it your screensaver on your phone, your wallpaper on your laptop...you get the idea. Take it one step further by committing to write out your new belief over and over in a notebook, filling a page a day.\n<h2>10 Ways to Develop a Positive Mindset<\/h2>\nHere are some tangible ways you can cultivate a more positive mindset.\n<ol>\n \t<li><strong>Write\/Journal<\/strong>\nGratitude journaling is a great way to shift your focus to the positive. You can buy a gratitude journal or easily create your own with a blank notebook. We recommend sitting down with your journal in the morning or evening and writing down 3-5 things (big or small) that you\u2019re grateful for. Another great exercise is to list 3-5 things that went well that day. Again, they don\u2019t have to be anything earth-shattering. Making note of even the smallest achievements can help you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/motivational\/attitude-of-gratitude-2-2\/\" rel=\"noopener\">become more optimistic<\/a>.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Embrace Affirmations<\/strong>\nAffirmations\u2014or empowering positive statements\u2014can help you internalize positive thinking. Consider buying a deck of affirmation cards, downloading an affirmation to use as a laptop or phone screensaver, or hanging some wall art...the more you see positive statements, the more thinking them will become natural and a force of habit!<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Consume Positive Content<\/strong>\nIn the same vein, exposing yourself to positive podcasts, books, social media accounts,\u00a0and other types of content can help you harness the power of positive thinking. Take the time to unfollow or \u201chide\u201d people if you find yourself being negative affected by them.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Meditate<\/strong>\nStudies have shown that people who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3156028\/\" rel=\"noopener\">meditate<\/a> on a daily basis display more positive emotions than their non-practicing counterparts. By focusing your attention on a constant (like taking long, deep breaths), meditation can help you anchor yourself in the present and reach a calm and relaxed state. So make like a tree (pose).<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Exercise and Eat Right<\/strong>\nThe mind-body connection is super important when it comes to feeling good on the daily. Taking care of yourself physically can have an enormous impact on how we feel mentally. So make it a habit to be active for even 15-minutes a day and eat a nutritious diet.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Hang With Positive Friends<\/strong>\nSpend more time with the positive people in your life and you\u2019ll be a lot more likely to lean toward optimism yourself...it\u2019s contagious! If positivity is rare in your circle, find local groups, or take up a new hobby and seek out like-minded friends who always look on the bright side.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Stop Comparing<\/strong>\nYou likely know this, but the comparison game is harmful and usually only highlights the things we don\u2019t have. Instead, focus on what you do have and how you are already blessed. Instead of looking at your weaknesses, ask yourself what your strengths are. Celebrate them! Be proud of them. So, stop beating yourself up about how successful Shelly is and how behind you are. In fact, don\u2019t worry about Shelly at all!<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Practice Self-Care <\/strong>\nSchedule intentional time out weekly to take care of yourself and do things that make you happy. Hobbies, relaxation, and play are all activities that fan the flames of happiness.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Do Something Good <\/strong>\nFind a cause you believe in and get involved. Being part of something that\u2019s bigger than you is a great way to increase those feel-good feelings. Take a look at <strong>volunteermatch.org<\/strong>\u00a0to see what best suits your serving style and find out where you are needed most.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Reframe Your Thoughts <\/strong>\nPositive thinkers view failure as a learning opportunity and setbacks as challenges for them to tackle and approach from a new angle. So make it a regular practice to reframe difficult situations and look for the silver lining. Ask yourself, <em>what can this experience teach me? How can I grow from this?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<strong>Final Thoughts on Embracing the Power of Positivity<\/strong>\nPersistence pays off. Will there be tough times? Of course. It\u2019s not realistic or even possible to never have a sad or negative thought again\u2014you are human after all. But be persistent in your path to positivity and we promise\u2014your mind will follow suit.\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Join Health Coach Institute and Become a Health Coach<\/span><\/h2>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coaching is a great career that you can help others, while also learning how to help your own personal growth. Health Coach Institute is a top health and wellness coaching certification program. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/programs\/health-coach\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Join our Become a Health Coach program<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and begin coaching in 6 months! If you are already a coach and want to advance your skills, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthcoachinstitute.com\/programs\/pathway\/\">HCI\u2019s Pathway program<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Feel free to get in touch with with one of our clarity coaches directly, by calling <\/span><a href=\"tel:+18003032399\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1-800-303-2399<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9004111222261315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9004111222261315"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9004111222261315\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9004111223112641,"href":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9004111222261315\/revisions\/9004111223112641"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9004111222272142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9004111222261315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9004111222261315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.php85.healthcoachinstitute.com\/articles\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9004111222261315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}