Being positive does not mean we have our heads in the sand or that we ignore unpleasant realities or problems. Being positive means that when we see a problem, we kick into solution mode rather than despair. Being positive means giving critical feedback to others while balancing constructive criticism with praise.
Positive practices produce health benefits and help us be more creative. Studies show that when people are asked to imagine an optimistic future, more areas of the brain light up during MRIs than when people focus on a negative or neutral future.
Research out of the UC Berkeley School of Business found that managers with greater positivity were more accurate in their decisions. They were more effective interpersonally and they infected positivity into their entire team. Athletes who were asked by their coaches to review successful recordings of themselves improve their performance at a significantly higher level than athletes who were asked to review unsuccessful attempts. This fascinating study was reported in the Journal of Sports Psychology, and what it means for us is that when we focus on successes rather than failures, our performance gets better. Health, creativity, effective leadership, and enhanced performance, all of these benefits just by choosing your thoughts carefully.
Here are some of the positive boosters which we can adopt in our lives to be more positive when we feeling that we are sliding into negativity.
POSITIVITY BOOSTER# 1
Trying playing worst, best and most likely case to stop the panic train from chugging too far down the worry track. You will notice that you are worried about the worst case, but it is least likely.
POSITIVITY BOOSTER# 2
Refute the negative thoughts as though the thought itself were your opposing counsel. Face down your negative thoughts with facts. Think about the past accomplishments and convince yourself that you have done lots in the past and you will be able to do it today too.
POSITIVITY BOOSTER# 3
Change the story you attach to the negative situation. Our minds can dream up the best stories of humanity or the worst. Practice the mental flexibility of challenging your own negative stories.
POSITIVITY BOOSTER# 4
Keep the gratitude journal. It helps you focus on the positive events happening in your life.
POSITIVITY BOOSTER# 5
Put together a positivity portfolio with the items/ affirmations remind you of your accomplishments. Update the portfolio every day to keep adding to it.
POSITIVITY BOOSTER# 6
Find trigger in your environment that you link to positive thinking. Every time you walk through a certain door, cue up the positive.
POSITIVITY BOOSTER# 7
Change your physical space like decluttering, decorating etc to make you feel happy.
POSITIVITY BOOSTER# 8
Take a movement break and find time for exercise daily.
POSITIVITY BOOSTER# 9
Take a social media sabbatical or have balanced media diet. Go without a day or a week without social media.
POSITIVITY BOOSTER# 10
Strive for active constructive response when any one share any news with you. It helps make bond with others and positivity in our life. For example, when some one shared a good news with you, say “Oh! that is awesome!!” and. then pose question to know more about it and be genuinely happy for them.
POSITIVITY BOOKSER # 11
Make more positive comments than negative or critical ones. A research came up with the ratio call Losada Ratio, came out after studying 60 top level management teams. It was found out that In the high performing teams, the ratio of positive to negative statements was 5:1. In the medium performing teams, the ratio was about 2:1. And in the low performing teams, three times as many negative comments were made as positive. This same ratio holds true in our personal relationships as well.
POSITIVITY BOOSTER # 12
Consider doing random act of kindness. Search for the opportunities to do random acts of kindness and you will find them all around you every day.
POSITIVITY BOOSTER # 13
Balance work and play time.
POSITIVITY BOOSTER # 14
Finding joy at work by making your work more fun and still get the desired outcome, or maybe even a better one. A guaranteed path to more joy and meaning is to leverage your strengths.
