Positivity & a Positive Outlook: 15 ways to be more positive

We may have a natural inclination to be a generally positive or negative person. However, this is something that can be, at least slightly, changed if one chooses to. With intention and practice, one can increase their level of positivity. Here are some methods that may work for you.

1. Call a friend - In this day in age, time can fly by. By taking the initiative to reach out and reinforce those social ties, it can help in a multitude of ways.

2. Spend more time with other positive people - and less time with negative people. Having positive people around you can help you be more positive more frequently. If you happen to many people that are always complaining about their work, relationships, and other topics, that can influence you with a negative outlook.

3. Nature - spending time in nature can be healing, slow our minds down, and bring about positive emotions. It can be very calming for some individuals.

4. Exercise - exercise causes the body to naturally release chemicals, known as endorphins, which creates a positive feeling within the body and easier to adopt a positive mental outlook as well.

5. Positive self talk - encouraging yourself with words like "You can do it" or "Good attempt. You are getting better and will achieve this goal soon."

6. Minimize negative self talk - catch yourself with the negative attitudes such as telling yourself "I'm so stupid" or "I can't even do this." You can reframe and tell yourself that "you are learning" and "you haven't been able to do this YET but you will."

7. Realizing that it is a choice and can be changed with practice - knowing that a positive or negative outlook isn't innate and constant. It is something that can be changed and improved upon with practice. Similar to choosing whether you want to use positive self-talk or negative self-talk during any situation, the outlook you have is also a choice at any point in time. With practice, you can modify and shape your outlook with greater control.

8. Finding the positives within any situation - virtually all situations have pros and cons. This exercise mainly ensures that you search for and focus on the positive more than you would the negative. An example might be a scenario where a person loses their job. The situation would, often times, be seen as a negative scenario. However, it could be looked at as "this might be an opportunity for me to find something I've always wanted to do" or "maybe I'll find something else that pays better; I've been wanting to ask for a raise anyway." This exercise requires balance. An extreme positive position can be potentially toxic without balance.

9. Affirmations - doing affirmations can help remind a person of who they are working to be. Some examples might be saying: "I live my life with hope" or "I bring positivity to the people I know."

10. Acts of kindness - these can be small acts of kindness like a small donation or even holding a door open for someone. Helping someone else out can bring good feelings for yourself. Knowing the kindness that you provided can potentially influence other kind acts, in a ripple effect sort of way, can be satisfying and help with an overall positive outlook.

11. Smile - when you physically smile, it can help lift up your mood. At the same time, it can lift up the mood of the people around you.

12. Find something to look forward to - get excited about something in the future. It can be a trip, a social outing, something you want to buy, a new experience, or a goal you are about to reach. Anything that makes you look forward to it can create positivity.

13. Celebrate things big and small - even small accomplishments deserve some celebration. Pat yourself on the back and recognize what you have accomplished. You may have accomplished more than you know. Sometimes, on a hard day, even making it out the door can be cause for celebration.

14. Let go of things that are out of your control - sometimes things happen that can be beyond your control. If something is or was out of your control, there is no need to dwell too much on it. It can be let go.

15. Be kind to yourself and others - we are human and sometimes mistakes will happen. Don't beat yourself up too much. Be gentle and kind to yourself. Also be kind and gentle to others. Over time, forgiving others and forgiving yourself can be therapeutic and helpful to a more positive outlook.