SETTING A POSITIVE MINDSET FOR THE YEAR AHEAD
With the first month of 2020 behind us, it can be easy to lose focus on any goals you’d set for yourself for the year ahead. This can sometimes lead to a shift in mindset, with a swing to a more negative outlook. However, when it comes to achieving your goals, mindset is everything. So, we’ve pulled together a list of our favourite methods for creating and cultivating a positive mindset.
FIND YOUR WHY
Having a goal is one thing, but finding your reason - your ‘why’ - is another. It’s easy to mistake your ‘why’ for your goal, but they’re separate. Your ‘why’ helps to cement the goals you have, and they’re the underlying reason for any goals you set; they’re also essential for keeping you on track and pushing forward.
PRACTICE GRATITUDE
Each day you’re faced with challenges, and it can be easy to let them get the better of you. However, when you practice gratitude, you remind yourself of all the positives despite the challenges. For example, taking a moment to be grateful for the people you’re surrounded by, where you live, and even being able to buy groceries can help shift your mindset into a more positive space.
SAVOUR THE GOOD
It’s often not enough to just practice gratitude, sometimes we need to take a moment to savour the good too.
It can be easy to let great - or even good - moments pass without acknowledging them, but stopping and holding onto those positive feelings can be a great way to develop long-lasting positive thoughts and emotions.
SHARE POSITIVITY
You may have heard that by simply smiling, even when you don’t want to, your body produces feel-good neurotransmitters called dopamine, serotonin and endorphins. These cause you to feel happy, relieve stress and act as a 100% natural painkiller. And more than that? Smiling is contagious.
So, whenever you feel moments of positivity, sharing them with people around you not only boosts your mood but also positively impacts those around you.
TREAT YOURSELF WITH KINDNESS
It’s important to remember that while these guidelines can help you cultivate a positive mindset, you needn’t dedicate all your time and energy to them. Being a positive person, and creating a positive mindset involves a conscious commitment to meeting your own needs and practicing kindness and patience with yourself.
Nothing happens overnight, but small steps taken everyday will all add up to one giant leap.