We all experience ups and downs in our emotional life, but hopefully more ups than downs. Positive emotions can help us to build a happier and more fulfilled life, they can also help us to combat stress and become more resilient to adversity.
How can I become more positive?
Exploring your positive emotions can help you become more aware of behaviours or activities that tend to make you feel good.
Make a list of positive emotions, for example joy, elation and enthusiasm. Think of specific times where you felt those emotions and link this to either what you were doing, who you were with, where you were or anything else that could have contributed towards you feeling that positive emotion. Being more conscious of the things that bring any of these positive emotions into your life will help you to include these actions into your life more often.
Another way in which you can experience positive emotions more often is to think about reframing negative thoughts into positive ones. This is not about changing the outcome of a situation or what happened but is about changing the way we see a situation and how we chose to interpret it. Doing this will help us to experience positive emotions more than we experience negative ones.
My top tips for success
- Think of something simple you can do daily that will make you feel a positive emotion.
- Shift your negative thoughts by writing them down and putting a positive spin on them.
Example
- You notice that being in nature makes you feel calm, so everyday you go for a short walk outside around your working hours to relax.
- You had a day out planned with a friend but they had to cancel last minute – instead of thinking of this as a day ruined think of this as a day you now have time to do whatever you like – be that relaxing if you have had a busy week or time to get tasks done you have been putting off for a while.
External resources for more information:
Action for happiness: 10 keys to happier living: https://www.actionforhappiness.org/10-keys-to-happier-living
Samaritans - Positive thinking: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/schools/deal/deal-resources/coping-strategies/positive-thinking
NHS – How to be happier: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/feel-better-and-happy
References:
1 . Freidrickson, L. Positivity: Groundbreaking Research To Release Your Inner Optimist and Thrive (2011), Oneworld Publications, Oxford.
2. Diamond, L. & Aspinwall, L. Emotion regulation across the life span: An integrative perspective emphasizing self-regulation, positive affect, and dyadic processes. Motivation and Emotion (2003), 27, 125-156.