My Little Tips to Train the Mind for Positive Thinking
I used to be a proud critical thinker, always striving for improvement. Always thinking or saying "Yes, but…”. Two years ago, I realized that this mindset was draining not only for others but also for myself, and was the main cause of my unhappiness. I had to change my perspective from seeing the glass as half empty to seeing it as half full.
While skepticism can be useful, it's equally important to cultivate a positive outlook.
How did I grow my positive mind?
1/ READ ONE BOOK: The 5th Agreement by Don Miguel Ruiz. After reading the book, I specifically tried to apply two agreements.
1 - do not take anything personally
2 - do not make assumptions
2/ OBSERVE, ACKNOWLEDGE AND DISCARD THE TOXIC THOUGHT
I began by distancing myself from my own thoughts, acknowledging them, and asking myself: 'Am I thinking this because I take it personally or because I'm making an assumption (the famous "what if")?'
All of my toxic thoughts were coming from social comparison, perfectionism (thinking I can always do better), and maximizing (thinking I could have made a better decision and continuing to look at other options).
Repeating mentally the two agreements, 'Do not make assumptions' or 'Do not take it personally,' helped reduce these toxic thoughts progressively.
3/ TRAIN THE BRAIN
Have you heard about the amazing concept of neuroplasticity? It's a game-changer! The idea that our brains can change and adapt throughout our lives is one of the most exciting things I've discovered in the past year.
Neuroplasticity means we can strengthen the connections between neurons, and ultimately change the way we think and feel. How incredible is that?! I was over the moon when I first learned about it and knew I had to give it a try. Let’s get an upgrade!
I started treating my mind like a muscle and practicing "positive thinking" exercises every day for 3-4 months. It wasn't easy, but it was so worth it! Like learning how to walk, it required a lot of repetition and practice.
I even made up a new term for my daily routine: "brym" - short for brain + gym. Here are some of the "brym" exercises I did to strengthen my positive mindset:
journaling 5 positive events in the day
noticing people’s positive traits and strengths
writing down 5 things I'm grateful for
writing down 5 positive affirmations about myself
turning a negative thought into a positive one. For example, turning “it is going to be a nightmare to park the car” into “I am sure there will be a parking slot, waiting for me”; or “I always suck at this” into “I need to keep practicing to get better at this”
Once I understood I could change the way I think, my happiness levels grew.
How about you? Are you ready for your brain upgrade? Why not try one of the brym* exercises and see what happens?
