3 Morning Habits To Keep You Optimistic

Staying positive all day is a little easier with these three habits.

I can’t tell you how often I am asked how I maintain a positive attitude, even in the most chaotic of times. Being a mother of four and a full-time surgeon is no easy job obviously, and I find it a real challenge to maintain optimism sometimes. The problem with optimism is that it’s a feeling, and just like any feeling, it has to be maintained. My biggest advice is to pick up healthy habits, that you can practice every morning to start your day the right way. It may be hard or impossible to maintain your optimism throughout the day, but a good first start is definitely a step in the right direction. Give these habits a try every morning before you get out of bed (or while you drink your coffee), and see if they don’t put a positive spin on the remainder of your day.

Focus on gratitude: Optimists, by nature, appreciate the things that they do have, and don’t focus on the things they don’t. If the first thing you think of when you wake up is how grateful you are for all the things in your life, it sets up the rest of your day. If you find yourself thinking about negative things like your to-do list, balance it out with one thankful notion per negative thought.

READ MORE:  Tips for Setting Goals

Journal: The easiest way to get things out of your head is to put them on paper. Even if you only journal for 2 minutes a day, organizing your thoughts in the real world will help you sort through them and remember what is important throughout the day.

Focus on your strengths. Most of the time when I get bogged down, it is because I am thinking of the stress of all the things I don’t know how to do, but have to accomplish anyway. If you shift your focus to the task at hand and work through each small goal one at a time, it makes it much easier to get through your day with a smile on your face.

Thinking about my kids when I’m on my way home from a long shift always helps me. Spoiler Alert: They are also the first thing I am thankful for in the morning.

[ via ]