Reflect and Nourish

I believe optimistic thinking is an important part of leading a fulfilling life. When we are focused on the good, we bring more good into our life.

This doesn’t mean we’ll be happy all the time – what it means is that we have the resilience and hopefulness to move forward in life, no matter what obstacles we face. 

With that being said, here are five ways I’m working to cultivate optimism in my life each day:

1. I write down what I’m grateful for first thing in the morning.

Each morning when I first wake up, I write down three to five things I’m grateful for. I give thanks to God, my family, my health, and anything else that makes me feel lucky to be alive.

By writing down what I’m thankful for when I first get up, I’m putting myself in a positive mindset right from the start.

According to Psychology Today, brain scans show that people who participated in activities involving gratitude demonstrated lasting changes in the prefrontal cortex that increased their inclination towards future experiences of gratitude.

2. I write down positive affirmations.

In addition to giving thanks for the blessings in my life, I use positive affirmations as part of my morning journaling routine to give myself the confidence boost I need to start my day off strong.

Normally, I write down affirmations such as “I am worthy,” I am loved,” “I am happy,” “I am healthy,” to remind myself of my inherent value.

According to the National Library of Medicine in a 2015 study, self-affirmation may help people see self-relevance and value in the face of otherwise-threatening messages.

3. I make a daily list of anything I want to manifest into my life.

My mom taught me to manifest positive events in my life by writing them down in a journal. I usually like to write down three things I’d like to have happen in my life in the morning, and I write them in either the present or past tense, as if they have already happened (Ex: I saw a monkey, I have my dream job, etc).

My mom also suggests to “set it and forget it,” which means to simply write down what you want and then let it go, trusting that it will happen for you.

Manifesting as part of my morning routine puts me in a positive mood because it gives me a sense of hopefulness that I have the power to create positivity in my life.

4. I try to stay mindful throughout the day to be aware of what I’m thinking and feeling.

I’ve found mindfulness to be an incredibly powerful tool in helping me become aware of my mental and emotional state and to be able to see a larger perspective outside of it.

To practice being mindful, I take a break from what I’m doing and pause to notice my breath, my surroundings, and any body sensations that clue me into how I’m feeling.

Taking the time to observe both my internal state and external surroundings grounds me into reality and helps me remember that everything is ok as it is in the present moment.

To give an example of the benefits of mindfulness, sometimes I find myself ruminating about something upsetting that happened in the past. But when I pause and ask myself, “Is anything wrong happening in this moment?” the answer is almost always, “No. Everything is fine. I’m safe.”

According to mindful.org, mindfulness is about paying attention to the present moment, and it can help us reduce stress, gain insight into our thoughts and emotions, enhance performance, and increase attention to others’ wellbeing.

Our minds can really take us for a whirlwind sometimes, but by stepping back and observing our thoughts and feelings, we can see that situations usually aren’t as dramatic as they may appear.

5. In the evening, I write down some of the highlights of my day.

One of my favorite ways to unwind in the late afternoon or evening is to jot down some of the positive events that happened during my day. This helps me feel peaceful and content before I get ready for bed.

If anything unpleasant happened, I often try to vent it out in my journal if it’s causing me to overthink. However, if it was a trivial event, I usually try to pay it no special attention and just let it go.

According to PalliMed, Positive Psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman noted that writing down three positive events that happened during the day “changes your focus from the things that go wrong in life, to the things you may take for granted that go well.”

These are just a few methods I use to keep my spirits up. Let me know how YOU keep your mind focused on the good in your life.

All the best,

Adriana