“We have all heard it said so many times “you got to think positive!” but what does that really mean? Sure, it is easy to think positive and have a positive attitude when everything is going great. But what do you do when things aren’t going so well? How do you maintain a positive attitude when life has taken a turn for the worst?
Putting on a brave face and a false smile and trying to convince others and ourselves isn’t the answer. All we are doing is trying to think positive while feeling negative. Maybe we should lie to ourselves and go around changing the mantra “I feel good coz I know that I should” but would that work? The answer is No!
The brave face, the false smile and the gritting of teeth won’t make any difference if you are feeling down and miserable. All we are doing is trying to fool ourselves. At best we are lulling ourselves into a false sense of self. This often achieves little more than compounding the negative feelings.
To break through the barrier of negativity and get to the point where we can actually “think positive” we need to work on the following –
Relax. If at all possible remove yourself from the situation that is causing or affecting your attitude. Take a walk in a nice park or by the river or up the mountains. If you want go shopping and have a nice quiet cup of tea somewhere you can unwind. Somewhere you can create some distance between yourself and the problem. Take some time to assess the situation in a calm, relaxed environment. Ask yourself, is this something I can fix or is it something I just have to accept.
Think about the good things that are happening – you might have to dig deep to discover them but there are good things happening too. Feel, visualise and remember the good things that are in your life at the moment. Recall times in the past when you had similar problems or challenges to face and remember how you got through those situations. What personal resources do you have that you can put into use to help you get a handle on the challenges you are now facing?
Visualise or imagine dealing with the problem. See yourself developing a strategy and working calmly and efficiently to fix the problem. Of if it is something you just have to accept, picture yourself over coming the emotions that are making life difficult and picture and feel how much better life will become once you have accepted and moved on.
By doing this in a calm and relaxed environment you are giving your inner mind the time and space it needs to accept some positive feedback from your conscious mind instead of the negative thoughts that so often accompany stressful and negative experiences.
Your conscious mind is the thinking part of your mind while you subconscious mind is the part that just reacts and act on impulse. By visualising and using your imagination your subconscious mind is given the opportunity to create a new way of acting – that is calm, relaxed, focused and controlled rather than stressed and out of control.
And remember, relaxation, deep relaxation is always just a breath away.
Dudley Hayden Van Niekerk
Clinical, Command & Sports Hypnotherapist
Athenry Comp Health Clinic
Casita, Court Lane, Athenry
Co Galway
Tel: 091 875 793
Mob: 087 672 4454
info@galwayhypnosis.net
How do you maintain a positive attitude when life has taken a turn for the worst?
Putting on a brave face and a false smile and trying to convince others and ourselves isn’t the answer. All we are doing is trying to think positive while feeling negative. Maybe we should lie to ourselves and go around changing the mantra “I feel good coz I know that I should” but would that work? The answer is No!
The brave face, the false smile and the gritting of teeth won’t make any difference if you are feeling down and miserable. All we are doing is trying to fool ourselves. At best we are lulling ourselves into a false sense of self. This often achieves little more than compounding the negative feelings.
To break through the barrier of negativity and get to the point where we can actually “think positive” we need to work on the following –
Relax. If at all possible remove yourself from the situation that is causing or affecting your attitude. Take a walk in a nice park or by the river or up the mountains. If you want go shopping and have a nice quiet cup of tea somewhere you can unwind. Somewhere you can create some distance between yourself and the problem. Take some time to assess the situation in a calm, relaxed environment. Ask yourself, is this something I can fix or is it something I just have to accept.
Think about the good things that are happening – you might have to dig deep to discover them but there are good things happening too. Feel, visualise and remember the good things that are in your life at the moment. Recall times in the past when you had similar problems or challenges to face and remember how you got through those situations. What personal resources do you have that you can put into use to help you get a handle on the challenges you are now facing?
Visualise or imagine dealing with the problem. See yourself developing a strategy and working calmly and efficiently to fix the problem. Of if it is something you just have to accept, picture yourself over coming the emotions that are making life difficult and picture and feel how much better life will become once you have accepted and moved on.
By doing this in a calm and relaxed environment you are giving your inner mind the time and space it needs to accept some positive feedback from your conscious mind instead of the negative thoughts that so often accompany stressful and negative experiences.
Your conscious mind is the thinking part of your mind while you subconscious mind is the part that just reacts and act on impulse. By visualising and using your imagination your subconscious mind is given the opportunity to create a new way of acting – that is calm, relaxed, focused and controlled rather than stressed and out of control.
And remember, relaxation, deep relaxation is always just a breath away.
Dudley Hayden Van Niekerk
Clinical, Command & Sports Hypnotherapist
Athenry Comp Health Clinic
Casita, Court Lane, Athenry
Co Galway
Tel: 091 875 793
Mob: 087 672 4454
info@galwayhypnosis.net