How’s your attitude? Chances are that at some point during the course of your life you’ve found yourself feeling excessively down. We’ve all been there at one time or another – feeling overwhelmed by negativity which, of course, brings about a poor attitude. Luckily for us, we can do something to change it.

Here’s How to Change Your Attitude

I found an article on Inc.com that showcases “10 Ways You Can Change Your Attitude for the Better,” originally written by Quora user Milena Rangelov. These helpful tips that I’ve summarized below can help you improve your thoughts and attitude, eventually resulting in changed circumstances.

Make an inventory

Create a list of all of the scary and negative aspects of your life. This won’t be easy but you need to be aware of what it is you need to improve upon. You’ll see that these things won’t look as bad on paper as they do in your own head. Doing so will also help you come to terms with the fact that things probably aren’t as bad as you make them out to be.

Change

When you’re feeling down, chances are that you probably need to change something in your life. The problem usually is that most of us are afraid of the unknown, thus only changing when our situation becomes unbearable. Although it’s easier said than done, working on tackling these fears is the only way things are going to change.

Be gracious

Instead of focusing on the negatives of life, try to see the positive. Although cliché, changing the way you think about things will help make you a happier person overall. For example, you could be upset that gas prices are increasing or be thankful for the fact that you have a car to fill up – not everyone is so lucky.

Adopt some aspects of stoicism

Have you ever heard the phrase, “life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react”? Think about it. Rangelov explains that ancient Greek philosophy taught that you should find value in situations and accept the fact that some things are simply out of your control. The Greeks always saw adversity as a way to grow and learn. Things wouldn’t seem so bad if we all took on that attitude.

Think of what you really want

When we’re busy complaining and feeling sorry for ourselves we often fail to think about possible alternatives to our situation. Not only will this help you take on a more positive perspective, you will also be motivated to actually take action.

Practice good habits

Healthy habits are the key to leading a happy life. When something goes wrong, focus your energy on changing one habit (keep a gratitude journal, take a yoga class). Even though you’re only changing one small aspect of your life, over time your whole attitude will improve.

Be creative

Normally, we associate creativity with hobbies. But did you know we can be creative about our problems? Doing your best to come up with new solutions is key in solving your problems. Ask yourself these questions: “How can I see this differently?” or “What can I create out of this situation?” You’ll be amazed at what you can come up with.

Don’t forget self-care

When we’re going through rough times, it can often be difficult to remember to take care of both our minds and bodies. Make sure you’re eating well, getting enough sleep and exercising regularly. Don’t forget take time to reflect on your situation. Neglecting to do so will only cause you to fall back into your negative mindset.

Plant seeds

Rangelov quotes Robert Louis Stevenson: “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.” Often times we tend to be upset about what happened that day. We fail to see that throughout our lives several good things have happened (the harvests) as a result of other good things we’ve done beforehand (the seeds). There’s no better time than now to get out there and start planting more seeds!

Stay strong and believe

During tough times our resiliency is put to the test. Despite our hardships we have to have faith in the fact that things will eventually work out, because they always do. Believing that there is always a solution is the first step to creating one.

 

 

 

 

 

Featured photo by Frank McKenna on Unsplash