A positive mindset can become a habit. Habits are the foundation of our days. Your habits are the routines you use to structure a good, productive, and predictable day for yourself.
While your life may have lots of excitement and adventure within it, having good, healthy habits is a great way to ensure that you’re meeting all your basic needs and keeping your mental health in check.
Building a positive mindset ensures that you’re able to maintain a positive mindset. When you’re regularly engaging in actions and routines that support your mental health, you can ensure that you’re taking good care of more than just your body – you’re also taking good care of your spirit.
35 Habits That Promote A Positive Mindset
- Brainstorm at least one thing or aspect of your life that makes you feel gratitude each day.
- Check in with your loved ones on a regular basis to see how they’re doing.
- Develop a good bedtime routine that ensures you’re preparing yourself for a full, restful night’s sleep every evening.
- Give yourself regular breaks throughout the day – this is especially important on your busiest days.
- Start each day with some kind words to yourself.
- Get comfortable with admitting when you’ve made a mistake or done something wrong.
- Practice being more of a listener and less of a talker during conversations.
- Find a way to squeeze in a little laughter each day.
- Before speaking, consider the true weight of your words. If it isn’t promoting kindness, praise, helpfulness, or positivity, keep it to yourself.
- Get in some physical movement and exercise every day.
- Consume media that brings you joy – read inspirational books, watch funny movies, etc.
- Trade out assuming the worst by practicing assuming the best.
- Focus your attention on the good things that happen to you, no matter how big or small they may be.
- Give yourself some kudos and congratulations when you do something well.
- Make sure you tell the people you care about most in life exactly why they’re so special to you.
- Give others specific compliments. Instead of keeping them generic, tell the person exactly why you admire them or what they’ve done.
- Take setbacks, unexpected surprises, and criticism as an opportunity to do better next time.
- Keep your mind focused on the present moment.
- Spend more time around other people who radiate positivity.
- When something bad happens, try to focus on the lesson embedded within the situation.
- Always take opportunities to play up your personal strengths.
- When you aren’t feeling particularly positive or hopeful, pretend like you are anyway.
- Do one thing each day, even if it’s a very small thing, that’ll get you a little bit closer to one of your goals.
- Spend time visualizing what you want your future self to be like.
- Get involved in an opportunity that helps someone else or a cause you believe in.
- Make a point to avoid folks who gossip or speak negatively about others.
- Keep yourself organized with a to-do list, journal, or calendar.
- Stop waiting for other people to bring you joy and happiness.
- Spend some time engaging with a hobby or activity you enjoy each day.
- Choose happiness for yourself rather than waiting or hoping for life to suddenly give it to you.
- See challenges as a way to engage in personal growth.
- Change your “I have to” mindset to an “I get to” mindset.
- Ditch your “all or nothing” thinking habit by trading it for more compassion and flexibility.
- Take some time to genuinely enjoy your surroundings – stop to smell the roses rather than rushing from event to event or task to task.
- Make choices that directly benefit your physical and mental health.