8 Strategies For Rejecting Negativity.

Hearing phrases like "Think positive!" can make you feel like a casual jogger who is being told to run a marathon... tomorrow if you tend to see the world as half empty.

To assist you in identifying your tendency to see the negative side of things and starting to break those habits, we've compiled the greatest negativity reduction advice from psychologists, coaches, and authors. A shining, positive side is just waiting for you!

1. Set a new default response.

According to neurofeedback therapist Lynette Louise, those who are innately pessimistic frequently respond to novel ideas and experiences with the word "no." They do this, in part, to buy themselves time before making a choice, but they wind up standing by their decision to say "no" even when they shouldn't have. She advises using the default response of "I'm not sure; give me a minute." Then, prior to saying no, attempt to think of a strong reason to say yes.

2. Raise your hands.

Power has historically been demonstrated by broad, open postures in both humans and other animals. Imagine a peacock flicking its tail or a negotiator standing up while her opponent is seated. Think of scared toddlers curled up in the fetal posture or a shy individual with slouched shoulders and downcast eyes to understand how powerlessness can be shown through body language. Although standing tall and spreading your arms can give you the appearance of being bigger and more powerful, does it actually have that effect?

3. Get out of bed on the correct side.

It's simple to start thinking about all you need to accomplish that day as soon as you wake up, or to grumble about how the kids kept you up all night. Author Shawn Anderson of Extra Mile America: Stories of Inspiration, Possibility, and Purpose advises asking oneself three "morning questions" as a substitute for allowing your thoughts to go there: 1) What am I looking forward to today? 2) Who can I help or inspire today? (Take your own attention away.) 3) For what am I thankful? Your outlook and attitude for the entire day can alter when you reflect on all that you have and are happy about.

4. Set attainable targets.

According to Lavinia Lumezanu, a marketing executive and leadership trainer, many people who focus on the bad aspects of situations also have a tendency to berate themselves for having lofty expectations for themselves. Therefore, instead of declaring, "I'm going to write a book this year!" set a goal like enrolling in a writing class or finishing three pages. You'll be inspired to accomplish the next one by the satisfaction of achieving these little ones.

5. Put your distortions away.

In the world, there are bad things. According to Elizabeth Lombardo, Ph.D., author of A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness, some people who believe the sky is gray are skeptical of emphasizing the positive out of concern that doing so will make them "delusional" and prevent them from recognizing those very real negatives. But according to her, we all have cognitive thinking biases that can change the way we perceive the world, possibly making the negatives seem exaggerated in a funhouse mirror.

6. Reframe "issues" as "challenges".

According to Kristi Ling, author of Empower Your Day: Secrets to Creating More Happiness, Energy, and Success Through Positive Mornings, words have a great deal of power. "Try making a note of the bad words or phrases you use frequently and changing them to something a little bit better." For instance, if you frequently complain about issues, switch to calling them challenges. Remove the words "I should" from your self-talk and replace them with "I could choose to," advises Carol Patterson, a therapist in Vancouver, Washington. Should implies duty, dread, and resentment. When you use the word "choice," you take control of the situation, as in "I could choose to do this laundry now so that I may relax tonight."

7. Expunge the terrible news.

Colene Elridge, a Lexington, Kentucky-based life coach, advises taking a break from the evening news until you can develop some immunity to the negativity it can deliver (through these suggestions and other techniques you'll find at success.com). We're not suggesting you live in a hole or pretend that conflict and tragedy don't exist. If Facebook is making you unhappy (Why does everyone else seem so damn happy? Your account will be suspended if you ask "Why is everyone submitting articles I disagree with?" The impulse to read the gruesome details of the most recent crash or kidnapping must be resisted.

8. Think critically instead of acting critically.

According to life coach Elaine Taylor-Klaus, "I have a client who suffers from always seeing the negative in everything." "We discovered that she simply had a critical thinking brain wiring. She takes a critical eye to everything, which might be advantageous. She simply needed to keep telling herself that a chance for improvement is not an insult. Something could differ from her expectations yet still be correct. If you are a critical, analytical thinker, Taylor-Klaus advises accepting that your initial reaction will probably be one of criticism, but working on shifting that perspective by asking, What else is also true about this circumstance/problem/person?