LEARN HOW TO DEVELOP A MORE POSITIVE OUTLOOK

Does this picture make you think Winter's dragging on? Or that Spring is on its way? How we view things has a big impact on how we live our lives. If you're a glass half-empty kind of person, you can learn how to develop a more positive outlook. As humans, we're so quick to focus on the negative that psychologists have coined this the negativity bias. So we need to work extra hard to feed our brains with positivity. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Gratitude List: Write down 5 things you are grateful for every morning, you’d be surprised how this will change your attitude. They can be big or small. Kick-starting the day on a positive helps you retrain your thoughts.

2. Self congratulate: How often do you work hard for something and then never bother to congratulate yourself once you've achieved it? Once it's done, you're onto the next thing without taking the time to recognise your win. Taking the time to recognise our successes, however big or small is a great step towards boosting positivity and confidence. Make a daily habit of writing down 5 things that you are proud of from the day – big or small.

3. Language awareness: Become aware of the internal and external language you use. Negative words feed negativity but positive language and open-ended questions feed positivity. Be in charge of your thoughts/language at all times. If you catch yourself speaking negatively, take a moment and think about how could you spin it more positively? Awareness is the first step to change.

4. Positive Affirmation: We all have negative beliefs about ourselves and even though they are usually unfounded in reality, they block us from moving forwards. Pick a negative belief you have about yourself and flip it on its head by creating a positive affirmation that counters it. For example "I'll never find love" could be countered with "I'm a kind and loving friend to many". Say this affirmation daily out loud while looking in the mirror so you connect with yourself.

5.  Review your friends – have a think about all your friends and family. Who makes you feel positive about yourself and the world? And who drains your energy? What steps could you take to see more or less of them? Surrounding yourself with positive people will have a knock on effect for your mindset.

And finally, try simply smiling more. We smile when we feel good but research shows it works the other way too.  The very act of smiling boosts levels of the mood-enhancing hormone serotonin.

Let me know how you get on!