How to Activate Positive Thinking When Life Gets Messy

How to Activate Positive Thinking When Life Gets Messy

Life in the real world is a gooey mixture of joy and pain, hugs and heartbreak. So if you’ve started the new year feeling down, guess what? We’ve been there too. Even so, it’s possible to find positivity no matter what you’re going through.

Lots of scientific studies show that a regular practice of positive thinking has huge benefits on the body. Positive thinking can calm your nerves, lower anxiety, boost healing (even in cancer patients), or even extend your life.

Even if you’re not a natural optimist, you can train your brain with practice. Here are three simple steps to shift your mind into positive gear. The third one is our personal favorite – it’s helped us and so many beloved customers over the years! It’s why we love doing what we do.

Step #1:  Flip the script.

 director slate with camera blurred in the foreground

Photo credit: Martin Lopez

We make movies in our mind all the time – we just don’t win Oscars for them. When you start obsessing about “the worst thing that can happen,” your mind sets up your body to prepare for that outcome. Let’s stop directing films you don’t want to see.

Instead of obsessing about what can go wrong, flip the script and visualize what could go right. Jack Canfield, founder of Chicken Soup for the Soul, and others call this the mental rehearsal technique.

Why flipping the script works:

  • it distances you from negative thoughts
  • it trains your body and mind to react positively

By visualizing a positive outcome, you direct your mind and body towards a healthier, happier you. Olympic athletes, business owners, and even cancer survivors have used the mental rehearsal technique.

Step 2:  Add an affirmation.

 man holding there are no rules sign

Photo credit:  Miguel Constantin Montes

Now think of a mantra or affirmation you can say to reinforce your new script. Say your affirmation several times a day, or whenever the old movie creeps back into your mind.

Step 3:  Wear it daily.

person holding quotable cuff bracelet

Photo: Courage, Strength, Believe quotable cuff by Whitney Howard Designs

The most surefire way to remember your affirmation on your busiest days is to wear it. It can be a necklace, bracelet, ring, t-shirt, hat, tattoo – as long as it’s something that touches your skin and stays with you everywhere you go. When you wear a mantra, you fire off three physical senses at once:  sight, sound and touch. That’s a powerful combination.

Stefanie Friedman, who runs sales & marketing in our company, kept her attitude up by wearing a Gratitude Key as she went through two years of treatment to kick cancer. She’s in remission (yeah!) and continues to use her Gratitude Key necklace to stay positive. Every morning she puts her Gratitude Key necklace around her neck, holds it between her fingers and thinks of one thing she’s grateful for before opening her front door.

What are some other ways to wear positivity?

Some customer favorites for boosting strength, recovery and positivity:

 

What difficult challenge are you going through now and what affirmation or visual can you use to shift your thinking?

Sharing is shifting — so leave a comment and let that old script go!

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1 comment

Old script: “there’s never enough time.”
As a mom juggling parenting, marriage and my own business, I’ve let myself feel victimized by my schedule. Recently, I decided I need to look at time in a different way. The truth is, having less time is helping me focus and spend it more wisely.

New script: “thanks to my kids, I’m more clear about my priorities and have learned to say no to things that aren’t important.”

I also asked myself, “how can I see time differently?”

The Power of 15 Minutes. Set a timer, and do one small thing while waiting for a prescription at CVS. Turns out I’ve got lots of time! And obsess less about being perfect, when I only have 15 minutes to do something.

Stephanie C.

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