Did you know that a regular stream of negative thinking can actually change your brain and increase the likelihood of developing mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and can even hurt your memory? This is because when you always see the downside to situations, your brain becomes sapped with negative chemicals, such as monoamine oxidase A and cortisol, that leads to lower brain function abilities and/or activating the fight or flight responses.

With this reality, it only stands to reason that, alternatively, thinking positively can alter your life for the better and allow you to function at peak capacity. You are in control of our own happiness, and because of that reason, you should fight to make sure you are able to reach the highest levels of self-satisfaction that you possibly can. The best way to start that process is by training your brain to think more positively.

The Link Between Positive Thinking and Happiness

It is no secret that happier people tend to be more positive. But the real question is why that is the case. The reason behind this is because our thoughts are the pinnacle of our character. It is how we operate within the world and, in a sense, what we think is what we become. Our inner thoughts will reflect on our decisions and help guide us in the way we think about them.

When you practice seeing the positive side of life, your brain releases chemicals, such as dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins, which are the four primary chemicals that affect your happiness. These "feel good" chemicals help you become optimistic and think happy thoughts. You will become more focused and ultimately grow as a person because you will have the confidence to tap into your true potential.

Training Your Brain to Be Positive

If you are ready to lead a happy, rich, and fulfilled life, then you are already halfway there by deciding to become a better person to yourself. But that is only part of the battle. Because altering your mind and forming new, healthy habits is challenging, here are some helpful ways you can train your brain to be positive so you can reach your goals.

• Observe Your Thoughts: This does not have to be a long practice, but a solid 5-10 minutes will do the trick. Watch how, why, and when your negative thoughts creep in. Once you can pinpoint the core reason and find patterns, you can then have a great starting point to find healthier, more favorable solutions to deter those unwanted thoughts.
  
  
• Practice Positive Affirmations: Try telling yourself something positive every day, such as "I deserve to be happy." You can also scan for 3-5 positive things each day that you experience and bring them to light to relinquish. Remember, it does not have to be anything huge. It can be things like remembering how you paid a compliment or the beautiful sunset you got to see.
  
  
• Get Rid of Toxicity: Whether it be people, bad habits, or a negative environment, get rid of anything in your life that is not serving you well. When you surround yourself with positivity, you are much more likely to become that way too.
  
  
• Help Others: The satisfaction of being kind and helping others is another way to see the brightness of life. It can be as simple as holding a door open for someone or buying a stranger their morning coffee. This will train your mind to enjoy the little things and feel good about being a positive influence in society.

 

• Self-Care: By taking care of your mind and body, such as eating healthy, exercising, and doing the hobbies you love are all ways that will leverage you to become more positive, in turn becoming happier. The focus on yourself and mindfulness while taking care of your own needs is the best way for you to stay balanced and in the right frame of mind.

Conclusion

It is clear that thinking in a more positive way will create positive results within your life, especially when it involves your overall happiness. A positive mindset and happiness go hand in hand and together can unlock a much better quality of life. The building of positive thinking will become a catalyst for you to redirect your emotions and thoughts in all areas of your life that contribute to your well being. It may not be an easy route to take to alter your mindset, but with a bit of practice and allowing yourself to see the good in life, you are inevitably giving yourself the best probability to obtain the optimal happiness that you deserve.

The power of positive thinking is something quite remarkable. The act of practicing and illuminating positivity can bring so much happiness to both you and the people around you, which is certainly something to be admired. Because happiness is a choice, when you proactively choose to be happy and see the positive side of things, you are actually training your brain to release endorphins, which are those feel-good hormones. If this concept is new to you, then it can be challenging at first to get rid of those pesky negative thoughts that have resided in your head for so long. However, it is never too late to commit to yourself and change your life for the better to become happier and healthier.

Get Rid of the Negativity 
Being negative has detrimental effects on your body, both mentally and physically. In fact, research has shown that chronic negative emotions trigger your brain to perform specific actions, such as not partaking in activities you enjoy, which can hinder your true potential. This way of thinking narrows your focus and thoughts and leaves you dwelling on them rather than trying to find alternative solutions to solve it. By knowing this, it is clear that negativity is bad for your overall wellbeing, and also extremely difficult to break out of.

If you have decided that you want to have a happier life, then you have already won half the battle by understanding that you have the ultimate say in how you can live. When you have a mission to become happy and more positive, then negativity should have no place in your mind anymore. Filter out those toxic traits and replace them with healthier ways of thinking that can lead to a more optimistic outlook. 

How Positivity Makes You Happier

Studies have shown that when people are actively practicing positive thinking methods, they elude a more upbeat attitude. When you develop positive thought habits, you will be effectively allowing your brain to operate at an optimal level with free-flowing endorphins that will make you feel light and at peace with yourself. This will sway away any negative thoughts, self-doubts, and self-limiting beliefs that could stunt your happiness journey. In the end, you will feel much more confident and have ample amounts of motivation to experience new things and step out of your comfort zone to reach your full potential. 

Training Your Mind to Be Positive

It is certainly easy to be happy and cheerful when everything is going according to plan.  However, the real test lies when you are faced with unexpected setbacks and difficulties. In order to ensure that you can confront these situations in the most optimistic way as possible, then you must train your mind to think that way continuously.

• Assume the Best Intentions – When you are going about your day, assume that everyone you see, both friends and strangers, are happy, honest and overall decent people doing the best they can. Finding the good in people can promote much happier interactions and influence positivity. 

 

• Look on the Bright Side – Despite what could go wrong, always look towards the positive things. In almost all cases, the good things in your life will outshine the bad and make you realize that you can handle anything life throws at you with a smile on your face. 

 

• Be Ratio Conscious – Never let negativity overpower you. Too many negative thoughts can make your brain respond with stress and sadness. Be aware of your mindset and always make certain that your positivity ratio is high because increased levels will trigger relaxation and boost happiness.

 

• Smile More – Since your brain does not know the difference between a fake smile and a real one, it will release endorphins regardless if it is genuine or not. By smiling throughout the day, you will promote happiness and feel much more positive.
  

Conclusion
With life being so fleeting, everyone should strive to be as happy as they can be. Your mind is the key to your own happiness, and it starts by making the conscious decision to become more positive and practice positive thinking habits. Take control of your thoughts and really focus on things that make you happy and silence the negative voices when they try to creep into your mind. With diligence and working on improving your outlook on life, it will manifest into you obtaining an overall positive attitude, which will lead you to a much more fulfilled and happy life.

  
​It is no secret that energy is everywhere, both positive and negative. It influences our daily lives from who we are associated with to what we read, watch and listen to. In a perfect world, everyone would be happy, but that is sadly not the typical case in today’s stressful society. Some people may feel trapped with their negative thoughts, like this is the only way they know how to think and react to situations.  But that is far from the truth. Anyone can walk away from negatively with a bit of desire, willpower and determination. If you want it bad enough, you will find a way to achieve it.

Negative thinking is not just being a Debbie Downer.  It can actually harm you in more than one way. This way of thinking is very unhealthy both mentally and physically. For example, reoccurring unhappiness and the feeling of hopelessness can lead to chronic stress. Stress is known for causing high blood pressure, immune system issues, hormone imbalances and depleting your brain of chemicals used for feeling happy. Not to mention, chronic stress can actually lower a person’s lifespan.

In addition to the personal bad side effects, negativity can actually harm other people. Ways of thinking and outlooks on life are highly contagious amongst the people you hang around with. If you are the negative person in the group, it could rub off onto others and vice versa. These facts alone should motivate you to want to walk away from negativity. If you are a negative person who wants to change for the better, here are some ways to lead a more positive life and gain the benefits of walking away from that toxic mindset. 

Stay Away from Negative Influences

You cannot thrive and change if your environment is holding you back. The people you associate with and the environment you are in can drastically influence your overall perceptions of the world. It can be easy to fall into a negative space, especially if everything around you is wired that way. As mentioned before, negative and positive outlooks on life have been considered contagious emotions. It is very easy to adapt to the people you hang out with and the environment you live in. The more negatively you are around, the more likely it will be that you will be pessimistic. This is why in order to get rid of negativity in your life, cleaning up your surroundings and getting rid of toxic things (like music, movies or books) and people who will bring you down is essential to becoming a more positive person overall.  

Practice Gratitude 

Practicing gratitude is a key ingredient for combating negativity. Being able to acknowledge and appreciate the good aspects of life is extremely powerful for overall emotional wellbeing. Sometimes the negative thoughts can take over, making it hard to see any good in your life.  But if you can find the bad, you can surely find the good as well. For every negative thought you think, actively search for three positive things in your life. You can rehearse this in your mind, but it may be more helpful to write it down on paper so you can have a visual representation to review. This practice helps people become much more thankful, motivated and happier with life.  

Practice Forgiveness  

One of the traits that negative people have is holding onto grudges. They hold onto something and do not let it go, which feeds their negative mindset. Grudges do nothing but cause stress and unnecessary negativity. If someone did something to you that upsets you, the best thing to do is forgive them. Forgiveness does not mean you agree with their actions or want to be best friends again.  It simply means that you forgive them because it lifts that anger and/or sadness from you and allows you to move on with your life. Forgiveness has also been linked to lowered blood sugar and improved immune functions. Being able to accept situations and circumstances for what they are and move on instead of dwell is a great step in walking away from negativity and live a healthier life.  

Laugh and Smile More

Laughing and smiling have been considered the best medicine. Doing this tends to lighten the mood during hard situations. When you smile and laugh, especially at yourself, is can cause physiological changes which help improve your mood and increase positive energy. This is a way of taking live a little less seriously and realizing that you are only human and mistakes happen. Life can be stressful and hectic, but laughing it off and making sure to actively smile through it all combats the negative emotions that could arise. 

Picture Yourself Walking Away 

This is where your imagination comes into play. It may sound silly, but actually picturing yourself walking away from your old self and ways of thinking is very effective and enlightening. Visualizing yourself leaving all that negativity behind and move forward can be very helpful for personal growth.  Sometimes people do this during meditation or during personal therapy sessions. But feel free to do this at your own time in your own comfortable space. Just make sure that there are no distractions so you can absorb the full experience and feel completely refreshed when you are done. This technique may not be for everyone, but it is a great way to feel more powerful and in control of your emotions.

Anyone can be positive, just like anyone can be negative.  Both take the same amount of energy, so why not choose the option that is the most beneficial for you and others around you? If you are so ingrained to a negative way of thinking, there is still hope for change. It may not happen overnight.  It will take time to train your brain to become more positive and leave negatively behind. Remember, bad things in life will happen. It is how you decide to face and tackle them that matter the most.  

I'm starting to do more video blogging so in this video I talk about positive thinking.

Guest author
Photo: Pexels

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), someone dies from taking their own life every 40 seconds globally -- which is 1.6 percent of all deaths worldwide. The WHO also believes that for every person who dies through suicide, a further 20 attempt it. Although there are many reasons people commit suicide, in the vast majority of cases, the individual was suffering from an untreated psychiatric disorder. Here are the primary risk factors to look out for.

Previous suicide attempt

Overall, people who have previously attempted suicide are 38.4 times more likely to commit suicide than people who have never attempted suicide. One study suggested that as many as 80 percent of people who attempt suicide will do so again within a year. However, the risk can be higher or lower depending on the potential lethality of the previous attempt, and how many previous attempts there have been.

Eating disorders

People with eating disorders oftentimes have suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts. Eating disorders are characterized by distorted thinking, and striving for an unattainable ideal. This can lead to feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness -- two things that are common among people who attempt suicide. There are differences between eating disorders, too -- people with anorexia tend to have more planned suicide attempts, while people with bulimia tend to make more impulsive suicide attempts.

Major depression

Suicide occurs 20.4 times more commonly in people who suffer from depression than in people who don’t. In most cases, suicides are triggered by a flood of difficult, painful emotions from which people see no escape. Some compare the experience to that of people who jump from burning buildings -- in both cases the fear of falling, pain, and death is real -- but the jumpers anticipate more pain on one side of the window than the other. There is an escape from depression, however, and most people see improvements within weeks of starting their treatment.

Substance Abuse Disorder

People with drug abuse disorders are 19.2 times more likely to commit suicide than those who don’t -- although with alcohol abuse it’s a little lower at 6 times more likely. As with depression (the two often go hand-in-hand), substance abuse impairs rational thinking and stops people from seeing and seeking solutions to their problems. These solutions exist, however, and substance abuse can be effectively managed through methods such as therapy and inpatient treatment centers. Many insurance plans cover counseling, and some may cover inpatient treatment as well. Seniors who have a Medicare Advantage plan from companies like United Healthcare may also have access to counseling for alcohol-related issues.

Bipolar Disorder

Those who suffer from bipolar disorder are 15 times more likely to commit suicide than those who don’t. With bipolar disorder, people experience periods of both depression and elevated mood, and a key risk factor is when the two states occur at the same time. Like depression, bipolar disorder can cause heart-wrenching emotional pain, and can stop people from thinking clearly. But if this occurs at the same time as a manic state, this gives people the energy to do something about it, which might lead to a suicide attempt.
However, treatment for bipolar disorder is effective, particularly in terms of reducing suicide attempts. Lithium, a drug rarely given for major depression disorder, can dramatically reduce suicide attempts and completions in people with bipolar disorder, as can certain stress-reduction therapies.

As you can see, the risk of suicide is much higher in people who have other mental issues -- often, people possess several risk factors. Although these problems have known treatments with good success rates, as many as 80 percent of people who attempted suicide were not being treated for their additional mental disorder. If you yourself have had thoughts about suicide, call a suicide hotline or speak to your doctor about it -- there are people out there who can help and who want to listen to you.

Do you want to change your life but don’t know how to start? I will be talking about four simple steps you can do today to change your life. Changing your life will not be as hard as you are thinking. Changing your life will be fun and easy.


Step one, get clear about what you want your life to be. If you don’t like your job, get clear on what type of job you want. For me, I wanted to help people, so I have my life coaching business. When I was starting out, and even to this day, I would say, “Yes, I am a successful life coach.” This is a wonderful affirmation because I was living as if I was a great life coach. At the time, I had just started and did not even have a client, but I kept saying the affirmation, and I knew it would be true for me. It doesn't matter what type of job you want; just get clear about it and make an affirmation about it. If I wanted to become a teacher, I would say, “Yes, I am a great teacher, and I love what I do.”


Step two, now that you have gotten clear on what you want your life to become, start telling people. For example, when someone asked me what I do for a living, I would tell them, “I’m a life coach.” Not only does it make you feel good because you are going after your goals, but it will let people know what you’re doing.


Step three is very easy. You have no doubts that you will do it. Sometimes, when people come to me and say, “Well, I’ve been doing the affirmation, but nothing has happened,” I remind them that it’s a process, and it takes time, but you can’t give up. You must not give up, and you must keep moving forward. Our example above about becoming a teacher is a process. You have to have your degree, and then you must get your teaching credential. So, the whole time you are saying the affirmation, “Yes, I am a great teacher, and I love what I do,” you are going to school to make this a reality.


Step four is have faith in yourself that you will do it. This is a little different than not having doubts. You must totally believe you will become the thing you want to become. I know, when I was going to school, I did not do well in math, so I had a teacher tell me I should give up. He knew I was having problems, and he thought, in his own way, he was helping me by telling me to give up. I did not give up. I got a few tutors, and I finished the class, and I ended up with my degree.


I had faith, and I had no doubts whatsoever that I would finish school. I was working full time and going to school part time. It took me a long time, but I ended up with my degree, and that’s all that matters. The main point is I had faith, and I understood deep down that I could do it, even when people around me said I should not do it because it was hard or because I did not understand a math class I was in.


You can do and be anything if you just think you can. The problem is so many people are focused on what they don’t really want. If you really want to change your life, focus on what you really want and never have doubts that you will get it. Keep moving forward and don’t look back.

 Image via Unsplash
 Guest post by Dana Brown
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 Living on a tight budget shouldn’t mean you can’t afford to treat yourself. Self-care is an important part of maintaining your physical and mental health, and sometimes you need an extra push to accomplish your self-care goals. If you want help reaching your wellness goals this year but don’t have a lot to spend, try one of these budget-friendly self-care gifts.

A Journal

Many of us keep journals when we’re young, but we tend to stop as we grow up and adult responsibilities take center stage. However, journaling has big benefits for adults too: Writing helps you process emotions, reflect on experiences, and set and pursue goals. In fact, the stress-busting benefits of journaling are so great that it even improves immunity and overall health. A nice journal is a great motivation to write — check out Barnes & Noble’s selection of journals to find one that fits your style and your budget.

New Bedding

Are you constantly waking up because you’re too hot, too cold, or your blankets have become a tangled mess? Sleep disruptions affect your entire well-being, from your energy to your moods, so it’s important to take even minor bedroom discomforts seriously. A plush comforter, soft sheets, or a weighted blanket could be just what you need to take your sleep to the next level. And you don’t have to spend hundreds on this self-care gift: Kohl’s is full of great deals on new bedding, and when you use Kohl’s promo codes to shop, you can score cash back.

A White Noise Machine

If it’s noise, not uncomfortable bedding, that keeps you up, try adding a white noise machine to the bedroom. White noise masks background sounds that interrupt your sleep, and unlike a TV or radio, white noise doesn’t stimulate your mind to keep you awake.

A Meditation App

Regular meditation reduces stress and anxiety, improves moods and focus, and decreases pain and inflammation in the body. Those are big claims for such a simple practice, but research backs them up. For most people, the biggest hurdle to meditation is getting started, but meditation apps can help. Headspace is the most highly recommended meditation app. Try it out for free; if you like it, you can subscribe for as little as $7.99 a month.

Art Supplies

Did you love art as a kid but rarely pick up a sketchpad as an adult? Art has therapeutic value no matter your age. Even if you’re not artistically talented, putting pen or paintbrush to paper relieves stress, builds self-esteem, and promotes creative thinking. Drawing and painting are the most budget-friendly ways to create art, but you can also get into sculpting, jewelry-making, dancing, creating music, or another art form. Secondhand stores are a great source of supplies, or you can look for deals at stores like Michael’s.

An Electric Toothbrush

Self-care isn’t just for mental health. Good self-care also means tending to your physical health needs like oral hygiene. If you’re still brushing with a manual toothbrush, do your mouth a favor and switch to electric. Electric toothbrushes make it easier to reach every part of your mouth and encourage you to brush for the full two minutes that dentists recommend. Visit Philips’ website for discounts and price comparisons for the leading Sonicare toothbrushes.


There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself as long as it fits your budget. However, be careful not to spend money you don’t have on self-care gifts! A gift to yourself is a great pick-me-up, but the financial stress of going over budget outweighs any self-care benefits. When you balance your need for self-care with your finances, your health and your wallet benefit.

More often than not, people tend to think happiness can only be found in either material things or by attaching ourselves to someone else. Most people out there only know how to be happy from external things but never internally which is actually the true way one can become a happier person.
Sometimes when we feel sad due to a certain incident, we tend to forget that our happiness is right in the palm of our hands and only us can truly make ourselves happy, but only if we want to. If you have never considered this, then this article is most definitely for you as you are about to dive into a new world and discover how you can achieve a higher level of happiness the natural way.

MEDITATION

Meditation is a concept that is widely overlooked by most people mainly because they don’t understand what it is about and what it actually does for us internally. Meditation is an act in which your body and mind becomes in tune with one another. A natural state in which every bit of noise and disturbance within you leaves and you become totally at peace with yourself. After a period of meditation, your mind soon learns to enter a relaxed state in which any form of stress gets blocked out thereby leading you to a relaxed happier state. An easy way to start is just to sit in a room and concentrate on your breathing. Just breath in and out and count your breaths. Start with about five minutes and work your way up to more time.

EXERCISING

When I say exercising, it doesn’t always have to be the intensive type that leaves you totally drained. Little activities in your daily life could count as exercising. This method is especially useful for people facing various overweight related issues and depression. Now, even though you aren’t depressed or facing overweight issues, you could still benefit a great deal from exercising. This is basically a win-win situation if you ask me.
Not only does exercising keeps one fit but during the process, endorphins get released which takes you to a happier state. You can see why I defined this as a win-win situation. Aside from all that, it gets to release built-up tension and gets your blood pumping. You’ll soon begin to see how your life changes for the better from just a little bit of daily exercising.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

There’s just something so pleasant about the great outdoor that leaves you in a total serene state. You may not know this but people who spend more time in natural environments are usually happier than those in urban environments. You might be thinking “I don’t have the time”, but you could always try to create the time with little free moments you have. Think of it this way, It’s the weekend and instead of staying at home, drive up the countryside on that warm afternoon or somewhere close to the sea and see how that outdoor feel improves your present state.

BE ACTIVE

Everyone in life is going through one form of a problem and while you should always try to get through it, it is also advisable not to dwell on these issues for a lengthy period of time especially for things you can’t change. Reason being you’re basically overthinking and that does more harm than good to the body which would thereby lead you to a moody state which I’m sure no one wants. In order to avoid this from happening, keep yourself as active as possible. Pick a hobby, do something fun, read a book. These little distractions will help keep your mind in the present and end up improving your happy state.
Even though everyone is different, we should all learn to see situations from the positive and not let the negative take control of our lives as this could do more harm than good in the long run. We all have the ability within us to make ourselves happy so why not take control of it and use it to the fullest, after which you’ll begin to notice great changes in your life.

BE MORE POSITIVE
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Even when you are feeling low it’s best to think in a positive way. Thinking in a positive way will actually create positive results in your life. Being positive can change your outlook.