5 steps to a positive attitude
There’s no point in asking him, because he’ll probably say no.
I failed this exam….I’m never good at anything!
What’s the point in trying? Things always go wrong….
I’ll never be happy, will I?
No, probably not….because of your terribly bad attitude. I find that when I assume the worst, the worst happens, and I realised this when I started to exercise. At first I kept saying, I can’t do this, it’s too hard, but when I told myself that I was capable, things started to go right. I went from being out of breath after 2mins to going for 1hr and 40mins across a two year time span.
When those negative voices crop up, remember the important points below.
If you need to, print them off and carry them with you everywhere.
1. Self-respect
Always treat yourself the way you want to be treated by others. Would you let me come into your house to call you a fat cow? Would you let your employer call you a failure? Would you let your neighbour point out your ‘faults’ whenever you stand in front of the mirror? Hopefully not, so why verbally abuse yourself? Treat yourself with the same respect that you give to your partner, children, friends, and speak to yourself way you speak to others
2. Think happy thoughts
Instead of dwelling on what has gone wrong, look at what went right. I’m not saying you should ignore your mistakes, because then you’ll never learn from them, but during the low times there’s no point in making yourself feel even worse by focusing on the bad times. If nothing went right- I’m sure you can find something if you try REALLY hard- then focus on something completely different. If you like music, sing your favourite songs. If you like computer games, release your frustration through gameplay. Find funny jokes on the internet and make yourself laugh. Find anything that will lift your spirits!
3. Talk to someone
This person may be someone you know or a stranger. Pay a visit to a relative or friend and talk about what you’re not happy with. I’m sure they’ll find a positive spin on things, and their own experience will shed a different light on your situation. If you’re too embarrassed or shy to talk to someone in person, go online. There’s always space on forums for you to ask people for advice, but remember the internet has many trolls/idiots/losers on it, so don’t be surprised if one of them posts an ignorant response. Just scroll over their negativity until you find something positive. Feel free to email me if you like.
4. Cut off negativity
When negative thoughts pop into your head, cut them short! You can do this in two ways: distract yourself or backchat. By ‘backchat’ I mean you should cut the thought off before it finishes. E.g.
“You’re so-”
“Whatever, I look great!”
5. Motivation section
When things get you down, come back here. Go over the points above and also visit the Motivation section to keep you pumped up for success. Try everything until something works for you. If happy thoughts don’t improve your mood, talk to someone. If that doesn’t work, keep cutting off the negativity until it fades from thought. Just don’t give up until you feel better.
Do not expect overnight results. It takes time fighting against a negative, pessimistic attitude, but with time it can be done. You may never banish the negative thoughts completely, but they can be under your control.