Guest Post:: Skinnedcartree {5 Steps To A Positive Mindset}

If you’ve ever heard of Shaycarl, the YouTube sensation who promotes happiness, positivity, a healthy lifestyle and amazing family values, you may have heard the cliche ‘happiness is a choice’. Speaking of cliches, you may have heard another popular quote Shay likes to use.

‘The secrets to live are hidden behind the word cliche.’

He isn’t wrong. We, as human beings, are always after a quick fix. A new amazing diet that will shred weight instantly, the secret to life, a new self-help book that will answer all your questions and lead you down a path of happiness and wealth. But you know what? There are no secrets and there are no quick fixes, the secrets to life truly are hidden behind the cliches we hear every day.

Work hard. Keep trying. You get out what you put in. Never give up.

These aren’t popular phrases for nothing. They are popular phrases because they work. But because they seem like too much work, so we push them aside.

I’m here to bring you 5 cliches that you can follow to change the way you think and behave to have a more fulfilling, happy life. You’ll not only get others liking you more, but you’ll probably like yourself more too. 

5 ways to a positive mindset.

Choose your mindset.

You just cannot control some things. You know what you’re stuck in a traffic jam which means you’re running late for work - you can get angry and frustrated. But you can’t change it. 

If you break your favourite coffee mug, you can get mad at yourself for being clumsy and let it ruin your day, but you can’t change it. 

If you make a mistake at work, you can sit and fret about how your boss will react and track back to ‘what if I had done this..’ but you can’t change it.

It takes a lot of effort to let go of those things out of your control and not let it ruin your mood and take over your thoughts, but it’s important to remember that you cannot change what’s done. What you can do, is put it behind you and remember it won’t be important tomorrow or next week and invest your time in feeding positive thoughts. Choose happiness, choose positivity. 

Positivity breeds positivity.

Ever notice how when you start having a moan about your annoying colleague with a co-worker or friend, they join in and have a cheeky gossip too? Well, you’re fuelling negativity and bringing each other down. Of course, it’s always good to have a rant and vent, but you don’t want to fall into the trap of doing it too much or being seen as a negative person. 

You can fuel positivity too. If you start talking about you favourite Disney film, chances are others will too and it will turn into a conversation about your childhood and happy memories. If you start talking about your favourite restaurant or food, then the same will happen. You’ll feel much better focusing on those things that make you happy and sharing them with others than feeding the negative thoughts and ending up in an even worse mood! 

Stop overthinking things!

Avoid over thinking things you can’t control -this ties in very much with the ‘choose your mindset’ tip. If you cannot control something, then you need to let it go and stop trying to think of ways to change or or go back in the past. Chances are it won’t matter soon and you’re wasting your mental mental energy.

Smiles are contagious.

It’s hard to resist smiling when somebody smiles at you, isn’t it? Some social settings can be awkward, being the first to simply smile and nod at somebody will make you instantly more approachable and open to conversation. You’ll also be seen as a positive, happy person. Also - sometimes simply smiling at somebody can make them feel a lot happier. 

Do a good deed.

It doesn’t have to be a big thing, something so simple, such as running a quick errand for a work colleague, getting somebody a drink when they’re busy, offering to carry something for somebody who is struggling - it does not matter how big or small your good deed is, but it could change a persons whole outlook on a day. I know whenever I do something good for somebody that has no benefit to me, I feel really uplifted, happy and positive because I’ve done something to help somebody. Try it.

So there you have it - my simple tips to having a happier life and a better self image. It’s not always easy think positive and put these steps into place, but I can promise that it does get easier!

You can read another post about how I took control of my life and stopped self destructive behaviour here.

What are your tips to a positive mindset?

Corinne x