Make Your Naysayers Awkward with Positive Thinking - November 2024

If I tell you that we are not born with positive thinking, you would most likely deny it. However, it applies to most of us. When we face challenges and obstacles in lives, how do we usually react to them? We imagine all sorts of possible negative consequences and events. We end up being discouraged and fearful. I used to be in this state where I felt so discouraged and negative. What I did was complaining and blaming myself for what had happened to me all day long. So, what saved me from the negative mind state? The answer is the COVID-19 virus. You are not seeing this wrongly, it is during the movement control order, I was able to tune into positive thinking deeply. So, let’s see how I made the naysayers awkward with my daily practice with positive thinking. Why Is Positive Thinking So Important? Photo credit to Unsplash Here's the major reason why you need positive thinking for the rest of your life. The 2017 National Health and Morbidity Report shows that almost 1 out of 3 Malaysians have depression and anxiety disorder. On top of this, 1 out of 10 teenagers aged 13 to 17 has suicidal thoughts. While we are chasing our career goals and our children are striving for their academic excellence, we ignore the need to care for our mental health and personal well-being. We are afraid that if we talk about our struggle during our work, we will be labelled as "weak". The truth is you are being strong and resilient if you are able to recognise your problem and seek help. Besides getting help from the professionals, you can practise positive thinking for self-help. When you cultivate positive thinking, you are giving yourself the opportunity to enjoy a chain of benefits. You will not only stay away from mental illness, but it will also increase your motivation and self-esteem. You will become happier as you constantly see the good in yourself and any situations that come into your life. When you are happier, you will become physically healthier as your immune system improves. With a strong physical body, you will be able to pursue and achieve your career and relationship goals. So, what are you waiting for? Let's get started with these 4 lifetime practices of positive thinking! Lifetime Practices for Positive Thinking Practice 1: Focus on the present DAILY Photo credit to Unsplash Ask yourself this question: Have you ever think about other worries while you are working on something else? If your answer is yes, you need to stop doing this right now. By dwelling on your problems and worries while at work or any meaningful family gatherings, you are actually distracting yourself from the exact moment. You are not doing the right thing at the right time. So, how can you ensure you do the right thing at the right time? You should first set realistic goals to deal with any challenges you face. Then, break down these goals into small and manageable tasks and plan them accordingly into your daily timetable. Pour in your enthusiasm and intelligence to complete your job of the day that you set for yourself superbly well. With this, you will not get anxious with the piles of work you need to deal with and you will also get the sense of achievement as each day is bringing you closer to your goals. Besides career goals, you should also block out some times for personal development and relationship goals. Invest in yourself with some new experiences regularly such as learning a new skill, reading and exercising. You should also spend quality time with your loved ones through weekend outings and family activities. Practice 2: Make positive self-talk a routine Photo credit to Pexels If you think talking to yourself sounds crazy, my personal experience will show you that it is totally the opposite! As I used to negative and fearful, I unconsciously told my mind that I was incapable of accomplishing any achievements and I could not do anything to improve my situations. I ended up with more anxiety and worries. What made the situation even worse was that I become unhealthy with digestive issues which also resulted in skin allergy. While having medication as my temporary alternative, I looked into my physical and mental conditions. Only then, I realised it is because of the digestive issue that caused me skin allergy. Then, what’s the root cause of my digestive issue? Besides irregular mealtime, my constant worry and anxiety caused me to have long-term stomach upset. That’s when I am determined to practise positive self-talk every day, especially when I need to deal with emotional situations and challenges. Guess what, I do not suffer from upset stomach that often and I feel energized constantly. The Positive Thoughts So, what do I tell myself every day to cultivate positive thinking in my daily life? Here are the 3 positive thoughts that I tell myself: #1: I will be happy today and I will try to adjust myself to any situations that come in my way. #2: I will not be afraid today to fail today as I learn from every failure. Every failure is bringing me closer to success. #3: I will take care of my physical body and mind today with physical workout and positive reading materials. Practise this positive self-talk for a period of time and you will experience the eye-opening result as I do. Remember, we are what we think who we are. Practice 3: Give credit to good little things in your life Photo credit to Pexels Thanks to the social media platforms, we are now able to see updates from the people of our community. However, this has led to negative self-comparison among some of us. We are not satisfied with our current lives as we looked at our friends’ updates on their latest smartphones, latest beauty items, and their latest vacations. So, we give their updates alike and give ourselves a hate punch by questioning ourselves. We question our earning ability, we question our family background, and we question the reason for our current situation. However, this questioning brings you nothing but misery and self-blame. So, why not look at what you have that you are putting out of your eyesight? A simple fulfilling meal, praise from your boss and colleagues, a meaningful conversation with your spouse and a fun playtime session with your children can be the good little things that you should be blessed of. To be more effective, get yourself a gratitude journal and write down 3 things you are grateful for in the morning and at night daily. With this practice, you will see the seed of positive thinking grows within you and your loved ones around you. Practice 4: Resolve your worries and concerns on papers Photo credit to Pexels Whenever we are in uncertain situations, we fill ourselves with imaginations of possible negative situations and threats. But, in reality, most of the threats that we foresee do not actually happen. So, if you are having concerns and problems with your career, family and relationship, don’t just fill them in your mind. Instead, write them down in detail. By just writing your problems on a piece of paper, you are able to free yourself from most of your worry and negativity. It is because when you are writing, you are able to focus on the problem itself and the possible alternatives. Here is a guide to solving your problems by asking yourself these questions: #1: What is my problem? #2: What’s the cause of my problem? #3: What are all the possible solutions for my problem? #4: What solution do I take on and when am I start doing it? Nourish Your Mind With Positive Thinking As it is never too late to cultivate positive thinking, we hope that you would include the lifetime practices mentioned above for the betterment of your mental condition. Only when you are able to care for yourself, you are able to care for your loved ones. Shower your family members and children with positivity and you will lead a better and fulfilling life than ever before. We wish you well during this COVID-19 pandemic and we hope that you show your loved ones with extra compassion and care.

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