Positive Thinking Series - How to Have a Good Day

Last week I talked about not having to be perfect, you can read that post HERE.  It leads me on quite nicely to this week’s post; how to have a good day. 

Not having to worry about being perfect 24-7 helps us to go with the flow and relax our outlook on life.  I attend a creative writing class every Monday evening, where I have to read out my work to the group.  When I first started, I was terrified that my writing wasn’t perfect, and I would be laughed out of the class.  What I failed to realise, my fellow students are in the same position, we all want to improve on technique and find new ideas.  I relaxed, and suddenly my writing improved and I even got a few belly laughs from my homework piece – it was a good day!

We very often forget to remind ourselves of all the good stuff in our life.  It’s human nature to dwell on the negative rather than focus on the positive.  Of course, when we linger on the negative talk this only increases the negativity we attract into our daily life.  My favourite quote is ‘thoughts become things, pick good ones’.  I try to live by this mantra.

It is possible to retrain your brain to think more positively.  I wrote a post about the benefits of writing down anything unpleasant and leaving it in a drop box; you can read that post HERE.  I’ve also written several times about the benefits of a gratitude journal.

Writing down your happy thoughts, or successes, on a daily or weekly basis will lift your self-esteem.  When I received praise from my writing class peers and the tutor, I jotted their positive comments in my journal.  The next time I doubt my abilities I will be able to re-read this and boost my confidence.

Have you had a recent success?  It doesn’t have to be a huge success. I always put a pound coin in a jar when I lose 1lb; it fills me with joy to see the coins mount up as the weight drops off.  What about receiving a compliment?  Do you shrug off a ‘you look lovely today’ with a ‘don’t know why I haven’t slept/this dress is ancient/my hair needs doing…’.

Whether you choose to write down the good stuff, or simply play it over in your mind before bed, getting into the habit of reminding yourself why you had a good day, will encourage more good days to follow.

So the next time you’re brushing your teeth or taking a shower, think about three things that make you feel grateful.  Start your day with a positive outlook, replaying all the good points from the day before.  At night, write down all the compliments you received, the successes you created or simple acts of kindness that warmed your heart.  Start every day with a smile.

How do you ensure that you have a good day?