12 tips and exercises for positive thinking

1. Draw attention away from negative thoughts Negative thoughts can have a tremendous power. They destroy our mood, our courage and our joy. But you don't have to give them that power. You can simply withdraw your attention from negative thoughts. This does not mean, of course, that they will no longer be there. But they do not have such a great influence on you anymore. Here's how it works: When you find that you are dealing with worries, fears, self-reproach or other negative thoughts, you draw a strong line in your thoughts and turn to other things. Distract yourself from the negative thoughts, they will not help you anyway. rn2.Positive thinking: smiling is really healthy There are people who always go through life grumpy and others who always have a smile on their lips. The smiling ones are almost always the happier people. The reason is also in the smile itself: Researchers have found that a positive facial expression almost immediately releases happiness hormones. The brain seems to get the information about how you feel from the facial muscles as well.Some suggest manifestation as well. So smiling makes you more relaxed and satisfied, and it helps you see things around you in a less black way. 3.Always seek the good in a situation There is almost always something good in a situation, even if it is only something you can learn from it. You can also interpret obstacles as challenges, mistakes as learning fields. If you can't find a parking space near your home, you can either get angry or enjoy the little evening walk. If the food you need for your recipe is sold out, this is a chance to experiment with something new. Granted: it's often very difficult to find something positive in the big existential issues. "It'll be good for something" is a bit of helpful advice for someone mourning a terrible loss. But on a small scale there are countless possibilities to take a closer look and find the positive. And finally, this will also succeed in larger issues. 4.Keep a gratitude diary Even if sometimes everything looks bad: I'm sure there are a lot of things in your life to be grateful for. By keeping a gratitude diary, you focus on these things rather than on the perceived lack. Just write down three things every morning or evening for which you are thankful. It doesn't matter if they are the same ones over and over again. The main thing is that you notice that they are there. And as time goes by, you will notice more and more positive things in your life. 5.Dose the news Disaster reports on television, radio, social networks and other channels can quickly give us the impression that there is only bad in the world. That is not the case, of course. In addition to the major disasters and acts of violence, there are millions of positive things every day. Only these are not the news stories that are at the top of the news. To mitigate the negative impression, it can help to dose the news. Just stop watching the news for a while, or at least cut yourself off from the constantly popping up news on the social networks. Don't allow yourself to be constantly bombarded with negativity. 6. Beware of negative thinkers Whether we are positive or negative also depends on the people around us. If you constantly have to deal with people who bitch and moan, this negative attitude will also rub off on you. Conversely, cheerful, funny people can also make us happier ourselves. Do sourpusses or sunshine children predominate in your environment? 7. Say goodbye to your victim role Thinking positively also means taking full responsibility for your own life. Say goodbye to the thought that you are the victim to whom bad things keep happening. You have many more aspects of your life in your own hands than you think! Once you have understood this in all its consequences, it will be much easier for you to take advantage of the possibilities in a situation. 8. Avoid comparisons The neighbours have such a nice flat and a big car, the colleague is slimmer and prettier and the cousin is much more successful in his job . Such comparisons make us unhappy and they are an expression of negative thinking. We could just as well compare ourselves with the many people who are worse off than we are.