Module Two, the right attitude starts with you. Giving a positive mental attitude in the face of difficulty is an easy. In fact, according to psychologists, our brains seem to be hardwired to focus on the negative as studies have shown. However, here are some positivity to focus on. Many studies have also demonstrated that cultivating an attitude of gratitude and engaging in regular exercise in meditation have dramatic effects on our sense of well being. Be grateful.

It's natural and easy to focus on the negative things that happen in our lives. When a reckless driver cuts you off on the highway, your pulse races and your adrenaline begins to flow. Maybe you start to shake and it's likely that this feeling stays with you for a while. However, the good things in life often escape are notice whether it's the person who greets you with a smile or holds the door open for you. taking note of the good things in your life involves a conscious decision, but it has a huge payoff. Oprah Winfrey once noted that the single most important thing she's ever done was to write down five things that she's grateful for in a journal at the beginning of each day, and the science backs her up.

It's like oh, Just from the University of California and Miami performed an experiment in 2003. It found that keeping a daily journal of what you're grateful for can increase your own sense of well being throughout your life. Make gratitude a habit. sustaining a positive outlook requires consistent practice. If taking a moment to note what's going right can give you a good feeling. Imagine the cumulative effect of doing so daily.

In order to do so you have to cultivate a habit, forming a habit. Use a reminder, for example, at the beginning of your workday before or after you clock in. Let this act as a cue to list five things you're grateful for in a gratitude journal. Have a routine, try to write in your gratitude journal at the same time every day. reward yourself. Although developing a cumulative sense of gratitude is its own reward.

The act of setting up a specific reward helps to divide a large task into many small tasks. For example, for after a week of successively keeping your journal pick a small reward for yourself. Doing something consistently becomes automatic over time, but Time can vary between 18 and 254 days. To do so, the average amount of time to make a habit automatic is around two months. If you miss a day Don't beat yourself up. Take note, however, why you missed it as well as any strategies to counteract whatever caused you to miss it.

Be aware that a change in routine can disrupt habitual behavior and may require the development of a new reminder and routine. keep your body healthy. Regular exercise is crucial for producing a positive attitude. It stimulates the production of pleasure chemicals in our brain called endorphins and has been shown to combat depression effectively. important aspects of good exercise. Never exercise beyond your physical capabilities.

The ideal exercise plan includes flexibility, strength, balance and endurance training. Drink plenty of water. vary your routine from time to time by replacing old exercises with new ones. Avoid exercise within the three hours before you go to sleep, invoke inner peace. cultivating positive thinking is also a process of invoking inner peace within here are some ways to Do so identify negative and automatic thoughts and counter them with alternatives. Typically these thoughts frame situations in terms of black and white and ear or terms.

They also tend to make logical leaps. For example, your boss may have a look of disapproval. An automatic thought might be to assume she is angry because you were late to work. But you were only late to work by a couple of minutes and you're always on time if not early. So it's ridiculous that your boss should be so angry, and the train of assumptions can go on indefinitely. When you encounter such thoughts reframe your assessment from terms that this is the case to this may be the case along with other possibilities.

Consider other possibilities including those that have nothing to do with you. Practice reality testing by asking your boss if she is upset with you and what you can do to improve this situation. practice meditation regularly. This helps you to focus on the moment as well as to feel more relaxed and even doing as little as 10 minutes a day can have powerful effects throughout the day. keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings this can be particularly helpful during the day. times of stress, it can help you to both articulate and organize your thoughts.

One study found that writing about an intensely positive experience for three consecutive days still contributed to positive moods three months later, soars Burton chat and King Lara a 2004. The health benefits of writing about intensely positive experiences. Journal of Research in personality volume 38, scheduled time for play. Make sure to take time to relax and enjoy life on a regular basis. This will not only help develop a positive outlook, but also increase your creativity. Case Study.

Monica was experiencing some big challenges in her life. She had just graduated from college with a mountain of student loan debt. She had no job despite the fact she had been looking for months. Her savings was dwindling fast. And to top it all off, she had a nagging toothache and knew a trip to the dentist would cost a small fortune, especially since she had no insurance. When she thought about all the problems facing her it became overwhelming.

She grew depressed. Her life consisted of wasting away on the couch. watching reruns of Oprah Winfrey. When she saw the episode about gratitude, Monica decided to give it a try. She did have some things going right in her life after all. She now had a degree she had a working car.

Best of all, Monica had family and friends who encouraged her, including a professor who was willing to recommend her for an office job. The more she focused on what she did have, the better she felt. In fact, instead of feeling depressed over everything that lay before her, Monica started to feel enthusiastic about the potential the future had