Get Positive: Quick Fixes

If ever we needed positive thinking it is now during a global pandemic. I don’t mean reckless thinking, I mean reasoned positive thinking. We will get through this. The world will look different. We need to get ready. The great thing about positive thinking is that it doesn’t take much to set it in motion. If you do these things daily, you’ll start feeling better about yourself and your life within a week. 

Smile more. 

Have you ever heard the term “bitchy resting face”? Not everyone has one, but imagine if you had a “smily resting face”--that your default expression was smile, not a snarl. I’m not saying you need to sit around grinning like an idiot all the time, but if you make a conscious effort to slightly turn up the corners of your mouth while you’re in a meeting or a lecture, waiting on line in the company cafeteria, or just sitting around, you’ll not only start to feel happier within yourself, you’ll also positively affect others. 

Learn to laugh. 

Especially at yourself. Sometimes we goof. Sometimes others like to point out that we goof. And when this happens, we tend to get defensive, and being defensive is a huge element of  self-sabotage. What does it help to get defensive? To fold your arms in front of yourself, frown, and make excuses. Or, worse yet, to place the blame on someone else. Or shoot back at whomever might be calling you on your goof with a goof of theirs (that, most likely, occurred long ago and that you’ve been storing up for just such an occasion). Instead, diffuse the situation with a laugh.

Watch yourself. 

Notice yourself. As you're walking around in the world, or your home if we’re still in isolation, catch your reflection in store windows or wherever you can. How do you look? Are you scowling? Smiling? How are you holding your body? Are you slouching? The energy you send out comes back to you. Be aware of the energy you are sending out. 

Do things for others. 

There is actual scientific proof that doing things for other people makes you feel better about yourself and the state of the world. Well, maybe it’s not exactly “scientific”, but it’s a fairly well known truth. When you do things for others, it allows you to see outside yourself. If you’re suffocating on your own pain, a great way to come up for air from that is to pull outside yourself and get perspective, and focusing on others is a great way to do this. You don’t need to have money to be able to give. 

It’s important to stay positive that doesn’t mean you need to be delusional. You’re not going to get the job simply by manifesting good vibes. You have to be prepared and do the work. Positive thinking, without positive action, gets you nowhere. 

Get more exciting communication tips in Your Self-Sabotage Survival Guide by Karen Berg. Read more here: tinyurl.com/y786t4ax