9 Ways To Develop a Positive Mindset
by team nuut
Turn yourself around with these simple daily practices and a wholesome plant-based lifestyle.
For decades, we have been told that if you want to improve your life, you need to change your thinking. Happiness and joy are feelings we all aim for, yet daily problems in modern life are unavoidable, from relationship issues and work stresses to financial status and health concerns. When we continually focus on these worrying situations, they can fester and exacerbate our problems, which can lead to low mood levels and even a state of depression.
Finding positivity in everything we do can prove challenging as our brains are always looking for threats and danger, a trait that served us well when human beings were hunters and gatherers.
In today’s world, we face other types of stress that can be managed by maintaining strength and a positive attitude to face our adversities.
A positive outlook can help you cope better with stressful life situations, which can have a negative effect on your mind and body. Research shows those who look at life through rose-tinted glasses tend to live healthier lifestyles due to more physical activity and a wholesome, plant-based lifestyle.
Just some of the daily wellness benefits include:
• Longer life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Less distress and pain
• Fewer illnesses
• Better mental and physical well-being
• Good cardiovascular health
• Reduced risk of cancer and respiratory conditions
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
For many, a negative outlook poses a major obstacle to accomplishing even the simplest of tasks and can contribute to chronic diseases or existing health problems. Luckily, negative thinking can be transformed into positive thinking with nine simple steps. The hardest part is making them new habits, but with a commitment to change and a big dose of self-motivation, it is possible:
1. Identify What Requires Change
Whether it's your professional or personal life, health issues, daily commute, or physicality issues, identifying what parts of your life require review is the first step to changing your mindset. Start small, focusing on one area at a time to approach it in a more positive way. Purposely think of a negative and take your time turning it around. Remember how good it makes you feel and you will find yourself doing it more routinely.
2. Look For The Funny Side
Humour is healing, and while it can be hard to find the funny when faced with hardship, it can feel powerful to seek the light side. Reframing a negative thought by turning it around and finding something positive can turn sadness into joy and change your day, setting you on path to turning around how you view life.
Tuning out occasionally is crucial and an effective way to finding the fun and gaining a healthy outlook on life. Spending time with a friend who makes you laugh or watching a funny show can be just the tonic for renewed positivity.
3. Follow a Plant-Based Lifestyle
A plant-based lifestyle boasts endless health and wellness benefits, from helping you lose excess weight, lowering the risk of diabetes, improving kidney function, and lowering blood sugar levels.
Our brains rely on the amino acid tryptophan to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that generates feelings of happiness and well-being. Plant-based sources of tryptophan include vegan protein powder, leafy greens, sunflower seeds, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, mushrooms, broccoli, and peas.
The Journal of the American Heart Association study found that a plant-based diet lowers the risk of all causes of mortality by 25 per cent, and protective levels increase if you stick with healthy plant-based foods. Another study found that following a plant-based lifestyle extends that protection layer by another 5 per cent. Less-healthy foods, like soft drinks, cake, pasta and white bread, though meat-free, received a low score; meanwhile, healthier plant foods, such as whole grains, veggies, and fruit received five stars. Eating nutritionally dense plant-based food and vegan protein powder promotes the growth of good bacteria, which in turn positively affects the production of the feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin, which encourage a positive mindset.
4. Move Daily
Exercise has been proven to affect mood and reduce stress positively. Aim to move for about 30 minutes most days or break it into 5- or 10-minute chunks during the day. A healthy plant-based lifestyle supplemented with vegan protein powder helps fuel your mind and body. Perth-born protein powder nut is 100% plant-based nourishment and one-third of your daily dietary requirements. Add water or nut milk, shake and sip. It’s especially effective as a post-workout shake for replenishing energy and taking care of tired muscles.
5. Get Quality Zzz
Those who are sleep-deprived struggle to keep a positive attitude, according to a new study published in Cognitive Therapy and Research. Sleep deprivation can increase your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's as well as personal happiness.
Those who suffer from insomnia are three times more likely to report thoughts of suicide, and at least three-quarters of clinically depressed people struggle with sleep. Sleep disturbances also increase the likelihood of non-depressed people becoming depressed.
We all need different amounts of sleep, but on average, adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. Young children need at least 10 hours of sleep, while teenagers need at least 9 hours.
Good sleep is critical to a positive mindset, so take steps to ensure you regularly get a good night's sleep, such as taking a warm bath to help you destress and relax, meditating to quieten your mind and reading a book to induce sleepiness.
6. Immerse Yourself With Positivity
Positivity is contagious, so surround yourself with positive people. They will impact your mood, outlook, and personality and give helpful advice and feedback.
Negative people and conversations can increase your stress level and make you doubt your ability to manage stress in positive ways.
Gravitate towards people you admire and inspire you to rise to their level, and their best and most successful traits will influence your behaviour.
Spending time with people who complain and procrastinate can see you quickly start to follow suit, but if you’re surrounded by others who push themselves, face life with positive attitudes, and always strive for their best, these qualities will also percolate into your thoughts and daily life.
7. Positive Self-Talk
Self-talk is your inner voice, and it chatters away all day long. It combines conscious thoughts with inbuilt beliefs and biases, building an internal monologue throughout the day.
Self-talk has a large impact on how you feel and what you do. It can be negative and undermine your confidence, or make you feel good about yourself, and put things into perspective. For example, "I am happy for myself," "I am proud of what I did today", or 'life could be worse" can prove mind-altering and turn the bad into good in an instant.
8. Practice Gratitude
Gratitude is a powerful emotion that can improve your life in many ways. When you are grateful, it is difficult to feel depressed or sorry for yourself. Every day, think about the good things in your life to put you in a more positive frame of mind. Say them or write them down to help train you to look for things that make you happy. Keeping a gratitude journal is an effective method for gathering your thoughts. Spend just a few minutes daily writing down what you are grateful for, such as a delicious meal, a warm bed, or time spent with friends.
9. Daily Kindness
No matter how small, an act of kindness can significantly impact others and your mindset. Make it a daily goal to do something nice for someone else, whether holding open the door, complimenting someone, or offering help to a stranger.
Turning your mindset around isn’t easy, but it is possible. Try these nine steps and find your groove. Implement a healthy plant-based lifestyle filled with wholefoods and Perth protein powder nuut, move your body every day, sleep well and be kind to others. Soon, you will be the person others want around them – just wait and see. You’ve got this!