Do you feel tired and run down? It’s completely understandable. Negativity tends to seep into our everyday life and things can go downhill very fast especially during the stressful times for businesses close to the end of the year.

Many people are at their wit’s end after a long years’ work and are anxious to take leave and relax with their family over the holidays. Others are getting ready for the festive season which is their busiest time of the year and crucial to making the most sales to carry them through the rest of the year.

You must know by now that a positive and optimistic attitude in life reduces your stress levels and in turn lowers your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and other health issues. Studies have proven that reduced stress levels in the body and mind lead to a better quality of life, fewer colds and faster recovery from injury and even higher energy levels.

Basically, if you have a healthy mind, your body is healthier too!

To stay positive is a mental shift you have to make and not always easy to do with everything going on. Here are some tips on how to keep your state of mind healthy and positive;

The law of attraction & positive thinking

Thinking positive thoughts is one thing, but this must also be accompanied by speaking positively about your situation, colleagues or staff members and even customers. What you put out into the world will come back to you. Speaking and thinking positively about your life and current situation will eventually help you turn into a more optimistic person and even your outlook in life will improve as it will become a habit.

We tend to be the hardest on ourselves.  Over time, this can cause you to form a negative opinion of yourself that can be hard to get out of that mindset. To stop this cycle, you’ll need to be very mindful of the voice in your own head and respond with positive thinking/talk. Whenever you find yourself criticising your own actions or self-worth you need to immediately stop that thought and replace it with a positive thought and compliment yourself about what was positive about the situation or your actions.

Research proves that even a small shift in the way you think and talk to yourself can influence your ability to regulate your thoughts, feelings and behavior under stress.

See the upside

Try to see the good in every situation. When a major mistake has been made, instead of seeing all the money it will cost and time lost, try not to focus on that but rather immediately start thinking about the solution and how it can be fixed and be glad it didn’t cost more or someone got injured. Or if someone canceled on you, think about how it freed up more time for you to clean the house or go out and do something else or work on a project.

Get a hobby

Find something you love doing, that makes you happy, that you can spend doing in your free time. If you think you don’t have free time, make time…you will be surprised how much free time you have for yourself if you really make the effort to schedule some in for yourself. It is crucial to have some me-time. It can be a simple as taking a bath and letting the husband take the kids out for a walk, going hiking over the weekend, or donating your time to help at a soup kitchen or orphanage as in most cases, the gift of giving is so much more rewarding than you could have imagined.

Surround yourself with positive people

We all know people who tend to share more their troubles and frustrations than enjoying the moment and sharing jokes and positive stories and happenings. Try to spend less time with those kinds of people, especially when you yourself need a bit of a recharge. If needed, go and meet new people. Nature-loving or active people are always a good start. what about joining a hiking group in your area, nature is so refreshing and wonderful to spend your time in, and joining a club is the fastest way to meet more like-minded people who share the same interest as you.

Positive quotes to live by

Find a quote of the day and live by that saying that day. Try to do what the quote says and transform your thoughts and actions into something meaningful and positive.

To succeed, you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you. Tony Dorsett

It is so important to not just stay positive yourself but to be inspirational to others especially towards the end of the year where your colleagues, as well as your customers, are tired and overworked. You do not know their struggles as we each have our own, so be that little bit of sunshine the other person needs that day. Make it a goal to make someone else smile and that can only be done if you are in a positive mindset yourself.