Monday blues?

With this Saturday's IG live series "Celebrate Positivity", I decided to stick with the theme on this Monday afternoon and write about some positive thoughts. Positive thinking can lead to a lot of positive change in your life. Developing an optimistic outlook can be good for both your physical and mental health.

But sometimes, certain situations arise in life that makes it hard to keep a positive outlook. Take steps to make positive thinking become more like your second nature and you’ll reap the biggest benefits.

In today's world we are surrounded by environmental stressors and triggers. Especially being a person with chronic illness. If you surround yourself with negative people or are on social media and giving into the hatred and let's be honest... the "high school drama", that negative energy is going to rub right off on to you. Surround yourself with positive people. The ones who bring value to your life and understand what you are going through physically, mentally, and emotionally. We all encounter difficulties in our lives. Take responsibility for your behavior and don't play the victim. Acknowledging your role in certain situations will help you develop and grow from mistakes and prevent others from placing the blame on you. One of the best ways to feel good about yourself, even if it's from home, is contributing to your surroundings. Helping a stranger or a friend in need. Being a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. That karma will come back to you ten fold and you will feel most grateful for it. Spend each day reading something that encourages positive thinking or listen to a podcast. I found myself reading a lot of books lately. Reading stimulates the mind and creates imagination. Recognize and replace negative thoughts. If you're plagued by frequent negative thoughts, you will not be successful in positive thinking. Learn to recognize and replace thoughts that are overly negative. Often, thoughts that include words like "never" and "always" signal that they're not true. Create a daily gratitude list and practice self-care. Starting a gratitude list is easy. There are many examples online and also work books that you can get off of amazon. I appreciate gratitude lists because it shows me how much in my life I am truly thankful for. You must take good care of yourself. Practicing more self-care will provide you with more energy to focus on positive thinking.

Positive thoughts help reduce stress. Although we cannot control our environmental triggers, we can focus more on the care of our well being. The more you feed your mind with positive thoughts, the more you can attract great things in your life.