Power of Positivity

It is no secret that we humans have far too long complained about challenges and how it impacts our lives. However very few are actually able to overcome these challenges, the approach is simple, by being Positive!

A famous psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky who has done a great deal of study and research in this area, suggested 4 strategies for being happy and positive. They are Expressing Gratitude, Being Positive, Do Not Overthink and Social Companionship. We will look at today how when one experiences challenge’s in life and then feel lost,being positive can make a huge difference to an extent where everything looks to sort itself out.

Focus on positive things -We are all conditioned with something negative in our brain, unfortunately our brain functions in such a way that inclines more towards threats and dangers! Therefore to overcome this, one has to be focus on what is positive and ignore the negatives around so that the brain doesn’t get a chance to overpower the positivity and you end up losing the fight with challenges around you. Start by appreciating things around you, it will show there’s so much more to be happy about than being depressed.

Overcome your emotions-Always try and overcome your emotions and think in the most practical manner possible. Our brain works in mysterious ways, therefore when we start to think too emotionally, the problems and challenges seems to start taking more space in the brain areas. However if we look at things more practically and how a problem can be resolved rather than focusing on the problem itself, the brain automatically de-clutters itself and makes room for positivity and happiness.

Start a journal-When you find yourself in an emotionally drained dungeon or facing life full of challenges,write down your thoughts.This act will definitely help you get out and separate yourself from the impact of this awful experience.Writing down your emotions and thoughts brings the conscious brain into action while reducing the effects of unconscious brain. Therefore just like overcoming your emotions, putting down your thoughts helps the brain regain consciousness over thought making process and thus reducing the chances of any negativity creeping in!

Keep yourself healthy in mind and body- Secret to increased productivity is through working out. Exercise helps overall body, mind and soul; and has always shown to improve habits in all areas of the life and also improve self confidence. It gives you the energy to overcome the challenges you are facing. By hitting the gym or doing yoga, you would instantly feel energised and start to look at things more positively. Almost everything would look doable with a healthy mind and body.

Anchor in it – it is time to clench your fist, always think of the time when you felt more confident and keep doing this everyday. Your body will start to associate the clenched fist with the feeling of confidence. So the next time you aren’t feeling very powerful, just clench your fist. In other words, the stronger your grip, the more powerful you feel. This is completely linked to how you feel about your grip over your life, the stronger the grip; the more things would look doable.

Empathy- When you find yourself stuck in some challenge, ask yourself what someone you admire would do in your situation i.e. put yourself in other person’s shoes. Empathy is usually used in the context of supporting others; however empathising with yourself would let you imagine how someone you really admire would have dealt with the situation. Sometimes it takes a mentor to help you pass through some of the challenges, therefore identify if you haven’t already.

There’s a very famous saying, when the going is tough, the tough gets going. Therefore do not lose hope, even if you don’t confide in others, surround yourself with the loved ones, this can elevate your mood and spread a positive energy around. There’s no one out there in the world that doesn’t face challenges, however it takes a strong willed person to fight them head on and come out as a winner. The power of positivity has been taught and spoken about for years however it is time for all of us to make this very powerful tool as a daily accessory.