Let’s face it. Everywhere we look these days that is WAY MORE negativity than positivity. 

So HOW DO PEOPLE DO IT?! How does someone stay positive in such a negative world? 

Well, I’ve got FOUR tips today to help you stay more positive in this negative world that we live in today.

TIP #1: LIVE IN THE MOMENT. 

If you’re like me I will find myself replaying things that have happened in the past over and over and over in my head thinking of different ways that the situation could have gone. When I find myself doing this more times than not I get angry and/or depressed. That’s because we’re living in the past, and you can’t change the past. Another thing that we tend to do is look too far into the future and focus on all of the things that could go wrong with whatever we are trying to accomplish, very rarely are we looking into the future and picturing all the great things that can happen. When we do this we tend to become anxious, irritable, and again angry. So do yourself a favor and make sure you are present NOW and living your life moment to moment. You can plan ahead but don’t LIVE in the future. 

TIP #2: PAY ATTENTION TO THE LITTLE THINGS. 

We are always in such a rush to get somewhere or do something that we forget to take the time to pay attention to the little things around us. This can be something as small and smelling a flower, or appreciating the small details in their design. When you have your morning coffee enjoy the warmth of the cup, the aroma of the beans, and how it makes you feel. 

TIP #3: USE TWO SIMPLE WORDS… THANK YOU!

Thank everyone around you for being able to do what you do, especially the people you don’t know. Most of us don’t take the time to appreciate how many lives are impacted by the things we do, especially the things we buy. Take the cup of coffee from point #2 for example. How many people were involved in getting you that cup of coffee? It all started with a farmer that is more than likely THOUSANDS of miles away from you. They plant the coffee bean, grow it, harvest it, and dry it. Then it goes to the roasters, packaging, marketing, shipping, and sales. Then and only then can it finally be in your home and make it into your cup. So take time to just say two simple words… Thank You

TIP #4: BREATHE. 

Did you know that many of us don’t know how to breathe properly? That’s right, we don’t breathe right! We are supposed to be taking deep controlled breaths using our diaphragm and breathing in through our nose and out through our mouth. However, many of us breathe with our chest and only with our mouths. This causes lots of tension in the upper back, shoulders, and neck for most people… as well as feeding into anxiety, and we all know what anxiety leads to. More negative thoughts! So learn to breath better by sitting up straight, relaxing the shoulders, and when you take a deep breath in your belly should expand and get larger (if your self-conscious do this when nobody is looking). This will help stimulate your Vagus nerve which in turn will help you relax, calm down, and may even be able to put a smile on your face. 

I hope that these four simple tips will help you to stay more positive this week and be that shining light that people need in their lives now more than ever.