The \u201cpower of positive thinking\u201d is a popular concept, and sometimes it can feel a little clich\u00e9. But the physical and mental benefits of positive thinking<\/a> have been demonstrated by multiple scientific studies. Positive thinking can give you more confidence, improve your mood, and even reduce the likelihood of developing conditions such as hypertension, depression and other stress-related<\/a> disorders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All this sounds great, but what does the \u201cpower of positive thinking\u201d really<\/em> mean?<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can define positive thinking as positive imagery, positive self-talk or general optimism, but these are all still general, ambiguous concepts. If you want to be effective in thinking and being more positive, you\u2019ll need concrete examples to help you through the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Related: <\/em>10 Clever Tricks to Trigger Positive Emotions<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are seven:<\/p>\n\n\n\n How you start the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. Have you ever woken up late, panicked, and then felt like nothing good happened the rest of the day? This is likely because you started out the day with a negative emotion and a pessimistic view that carried into every other event you experienced<\/a>. Instead of letting this dominate you, start your day with positive affirmations. Talk to yourself in the mirror, even if you feel silly, with statements like, \u201cToday will be a good day\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m going to be awesome today.\u201d You\u2019ll be amazed how much your day improves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Almost invariably, you\u2019re going to encounter obstacles throughout the day\u2014there\u2019s no such thing as a perfect day. When you encounter such a challenge, focus on the benefits, no matter how slight or unimportant they seem. For example, if you get stuck in traffic, think about how you now have time to listen to the rest of your favorite podcast. If the store is out of the food you want to prepare, think about the thrill of trying something new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Allow yourself to experience humor<\/a> in even the darkest or most trying situations. Remind yourself that this situation will probably make for a good story later and try to crack a joke about it. Say you\u2019re laid off; imagine the most absurd way you could spend your last day, or the most ridiculous job you could pursue next\u2014like kangaroo handler or bubblegum sculptor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Related:<\/em> 5 Ways to Stay Positive When You\u2019re Having a Bad Day<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You aren\u2019t perfect. You\u2019re going to make mistakes and experience failure in multiple contexts, at multiple jobs and with multiple people. Instead of focusing on how you failed, think about what you\u2019re going to do next time\u2014turn your failure into a lesson<\/a>. Conceptualize this in concrete rules. For example, you could come up with three new rules for managing projects as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n1.<\/strong> Start the day with positive affirmation.<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Focus on the good things<\/a>, however small.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3.<\/strong> Find humor in bad situations. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4.<\/strong> Turn failures into lessons. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Transform negative self-talk into positive self-talk. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n