I’m going to be the first to admit that this is a lot easier said than done.
With that out there, the next step is to acknowledge how important a positive attitude can be.
The first is that it can genuinely make you feel good. That should be reason enough, but having a positive attitude can also increase your motivation and your productivity – if you’re enthusiastic about something you’re more inclined to keep working at it. It can make you feel more inclined to take risks, or go for opportunities you wouldn’t have before.
I’m still a ways away from having one all the time, but here are some things I’ve done that have really improved my attitude towards life.
Hobbies!
Hobbies can be good for so many reasons. They can help on your resume and in your job interview, help you expand your social circle, and help you reduce stress and improve your focus.
But more than that, hobbies are a really great way to make you feel good.
Find something that you really enjoy doing – whether it’s something creative, like painting or writing, something athletic, or something else entirely, the important part is it’s something that you want to do.
It’s really important not to drop the things you really enjoy doing in the face of the life’s many stresses. You need to balance the good with the bad
Study something your interested in
This doesn’t have to be through school. I was lucky enough to be able to change my university major to something that I really enjoy doing, but even if you’re studying something you don’t always enjoy, there’s many other possibilities.
Consider taking electives, or even a minor, in something that really interests you, so that some of the things you have to take as classes interest you.
As well, if there’s something you’re really interested in and want to learn more about, sometimes the best way to learn about it outside of class. You won’t get as complete an education, but it takes the pressure away from learning. The stress of university can be really good at killing a passion, so consider learning about something you’re interested in during your free time.
If it’s something you find really cool, you’ll love learning about it, and want to keep working. Improving your motivation and work attitude helps improve your attitude on a more broad scale as well.
Expanding your mind with something you find really interesting is also a surefire way to make you feel good.
Do nothing
Not everything you do has to improve you as a person. Give yourself an hour every day with no obligations to do anything. Maybe this is right before you go to bed, or right when you finish school or work, or some other time that works well with your schedule.
Use this hour to watch an episode of your favourite TV show, read a book, listen to a podcast – find something that makes you happy, and gives your brain a break from everything else it has to do.
Don’t feel guilty for taking an hour to do nothing – it’s a good way to reset from overwhelming days, and you have many many other hours to be productive.