Developing a Positive Attitude

Attitude is a mind-set. It is the way you look at things mentally. When things are going well a positive attitude is easy to maintain. But we're all human and something will always happen to test our positive mind-set. So when that happens, here are the top 10 tips to help you bounce back and regain a positive outlook:

1.    Nurture your funny focus. While it's not appropriate to laugh away all serious problems, laughing can help you transfer your focus from the problem to possible solutions.

2.    Phone a friend. Avoid the few “friends” and members of your family whose own negative attitudes are contagious and drag you down further. Instead, talk to people who inspire you and can find the positive in anything. Even if you don't take their advice, you will feel far more positive.

3.    Work it out. If a situation seems to defy solution, pour your energy into an unrelated job like reorganising the filing system, clearing the attic or digging the garden. You'll feel more positive and motivated. And because you are away from your “normal” environment, your brain will be stimulated differently, probably more creatively, to weigh up the pros and cons. You are then more likely to find a solution than if you had stayed at your desk worrying about it.

4.    Give away your positive attitude! Strange as it may sound, when you compliment someone or share a little levity with someone – especially when you feel really grumpy – you will be rewarded with positivity and a warm glow.

5.    Smile more. Not only does smiling make you feel good, others will return the positive feeling. Try this out tomorrow: as you walk along a corridor or wait for the lift, try smiling at the next person you see, perhaps adding a bright, cheery “Good morning!” for good measure.

6.    Look better to yourself. When you feel that you look good, the world seems a brighter, more positive place. And, generally, that also means people respond positively to you – which is a delightful circle to be caught up in. So go on, wear that hat or brooch or tie that you like!

7.    Be yourself. Refuse to be a second-class copy of everyone else, over-influenced by others and the media – be different in the way you want to be different.

8.    Clarify your mission. Having a purpose or direction and a steady ongoing challenge will give you a stronger grip on the positive, making the negative easier to control.

9.    Believe in yourself and tell yourself you can – even if the solution sounds crazy at first. Often the craziest ideas turn out to be the best. Over 85% of the things we worry about never happen, so take a can-do attitude and go for it.

10.    Remember: A positive attitude is the ability to get up one more time than we fall down.