HEALTH

Do you find yourself always looking at the glass half empty instead of half full? Is it hard to find the positive when something doesn't go your way? You may have the Negative Nancy syndrome. In otherwords, you’re kind of a pessimist. 

It’s okay. Sometimes life can get you down but there is always a silver lining in every situation, whether it’s a lesson to be learned or something that could have a positive impact on the future. Luckily you don’t have to be a negative nancy forever. Here are a few things you can do to help change your outlook on life.

Question your mind.
When you’re feeling like the odds will never be in your favor and everything is going wrong, take a moment to pause and reflect. Think about a positive that can come from the situation. Is there something you can learn or take away that can make things better later on. If you think about it, you will see that the situation isn’t the end of the world after all.

Be thankful.
Focus on what you have and who you are rather who you’re not and what you don’t have. Things can always be worse and you can always have less than what you have, so appreciate those things and forget about everything else. Whatever it is that you long to have probably won’t be important in a year, a month or even a week from now.

Think happy thoughts.
Write out a list of positive things. They can be positive memories, good feelings you have toward your life, yourself or others, or just something that made you happy today. Focus your energy on those happy thoughts and you will begin to see a change in your attitude.

Read.
Sounds too good to be true, but simply reading is a great escape to get your mind off of negative things. Reread your favorite book or crack open a new one you've been dying to try.

Set a reminder.
When you set your alarm or if you don’t use an alarm set a reminder on your phone that will go off every day when you wake up with a positive message. It can be as simple as telling yourself to have a good day or maybe a reminder that your future is bright. Surrounding yourself with positive messages will help you become more positive.

Block out negativity.
It may be difficult to do sometimes but it is important to stay away from toxic situations *and* people. That negative energy can transfer to you and keep you in a Debbie Downer mindset. Try to surround yourself with positivity and things that make you feel light and lifted.

Are you a Negative Nancy? Share how you overcome it below.

by Lauren McMillan | 11/24/2018