Positive thinking exercises can help with a number of problems, situations or circumstances. I receive anywhere from 5 to 35 emails everyday from readers with specific questions related to personal development issues and positive thinking so what I have decided to do is to post the questions (anonymously) and answers on the site from time to time so all my readers can benefit from my answers.
I will only use your real name and picture if you give me specific permission to do so otherwise I will post the questions with first names only and a random Gravatar image. I hope you enjoy this format and if so please let me know in the comment section below the article.
Today’s questions have to do with positive thinking exercises and other means of overcoming particular problems with positive thinking exercises and activities. If you have some questions related to today’s topic please leave them below and I will do my best to answer them as thoroughly as possible.
Nancy asks…
Are There Natural Remedies Or Positive Thinking Exercises For Anxiety Or Positive Attitude Exercises To Help Ease My Stress?
I hate when this happens but occasionally I get bouts of anxiety and constant worry. When this happens I tend to get irrational worries, I sweat, breathe fast and get that feeling of impending doom. I calm myself down by breathing in and out and reassuring myself I have nothing to worry about and then I get myself together again until the next bout. My question is, what are some natural things one can do or take to promote positive thinking and stop anxiety before it gets the best of you? Thanks.
Howard Platt answers:
Hi Nancy, you are on the right track with the breathing exercises and positive self-talk however because it returns so quickly tells me that you need a few more positive thinking exercises in your tool box.
Anxiety is usually a sign of overwhelming feelings of worry which in turn causes stress. If this is something you battle with on a daily basis I would suggest you spend some time to create a gratitude journal. Set aside some time each day to list the things you have to be grateful for in your life.
A few examples would be your family, your health, your job etc. Keeping a gratitude journal helps to keep you focused on the good things in your life thus easing your anxiety and stress. If you have children I would get them involved as well because this will teach them about gratitude and it’s a terrific habit to develop and the earlier the better.
I actually wrote a short eBook for promoting positive thinking exercises for teens and it’s being used in 17 junior high and high schools in the Western New York area.
I keep a gratitude journal and I update every night by adding just three things I am grateful for, I have done this for years so I have a pile of journals to read through when I feel the need.
Be sure to read through some of the articles on this site and watch a few videos to get even more positive thinking exercises and activities that you can use when you have the need. I also have a page on this site devoted to positive thinking quotes and I have found it to be beneficial to read through positive quotes or literature for clearing my mind of stress and worry. I hope this helps.
Mark asks…
How Does Positive Thinking Work?
What can I do with a little positive thought in my life, and how can I impact myself both physically and spiritually?
Howard Platt answers:
Hi Mark, thank you for writing to me, I think I can help with your questions. Thoughts are powerful, negative thoughts can make us feel miserable while positive thoughts can make us feel as though we are on top of the world so learning how to take control of your thoughts is one of the greatest things you can do for taking control of your life.
Positive thinking exercises help to change your attitude redirecting your negative thoughts to positive, productive ones. However for positive thinking to work you have to continue to work at it until it becomes second nature to you.
If you have harbored a negative attitude for sometime it will take a little time for you to change your pattern of thinking but I know you can do it however, you have to believe that you can do it as well.
There are a number of positive thinking exercises and activities you can try for improving your attitude one day at a time. First you have to get used to monitoring your thoughts. As you become more conscious of your thinking you will be able to take action when you catch yourself focusing on a negative thought.
One thing that seems to be helpful to others is to begin to keep a list of all the positive things that happen to you throughout the day.
Positive thinking takes no more effort than negative thinking so if you have a storehouse of positive thoughts to choose from when you catch yourself thinking negative it will be easier for you to change your thinking pattern.
You asked what positive thoughts will do for you both physically and spiritually and the simple answer is a lot. There are proven health benefits associated and attributed to positive thinking such as reduced stress, less hypertension and heart attack prevention just to name a few, there are also specific positive thinking exercises for anxiety.
Changing your eating habits can significantly affect your mood and your thoughts as will exercise so if you start eating a healthy diet and introduce some exercise into your daily routine you will, in no time at all, begin to notice a positive change in your attitude, your thinking and a reduction in your anxiety.
Thinking positive creates positive emotions which in turn causes you to feel better about yourself, those around you and circumstances or events in your life.
The more positive you are the better you feel and this helps to improve your self-confidence and soon you begin to believe in your ability to achieve whatever you set out to achieve. It’s our beliefs that affect our thinking so if we can change our beliefs we can change our thinking.
I believe it was Henry Ford, the pioneer of the automobile industry who once said, “If your think you can, you can, if you think you can’t you can’t.” I firmly believe in that statement as it lends strength to my personal belief that we all have the power to control our destiny in life.
Someone with a positive attitude is more likely to take some risks without the fear of failure and this almost always leads to greater success in life. Basically positive thinking helps you to develop the motivation to keep pushing forward especially when things are most challenging. Motivation is the catalyst for change, it gets the ball moving and from there it sparks a chain reaction.
First you experience the positive thoughts causing you to feel good about yourself and because you feel good about yourself you have more self-confidence and because you have more self-confidence you are not afraid to take chances and it’s that drive which leads us to achieve greater success in life.
As you can see Mark, by engaging in some positive thinking exercises you really can change your entire life for the good.
In terms of spirituality positive thinking is really the basis of all faith whether it be faith in God or just faith in a higher power. It is near impossible for a pessimist to have faith because the negative aspects of their life will overshadow anything good.
However a positive thinker or an optimist will have no trouble believing in something greater than himself or herself.
I hope this helps to answer your questions. Please feel free to ask me anything as I will always try to help as best I can. Thank you Mark and God Bless.
Thomas asks…
How to get motivated I am over weight and find it hard get motivated are their positive thinking exercises to help?
What are the best ways to find motivation just to get up in the morning and do exercises? I weigh 80 Kg’s now and I used to weigh 72 Kg’s. I want to get back in to that weight and start feeling good about myself, I do have depression so it is hard getting up in the morning. Just finding that positive thinking to do it I guess, OH and is 72 achievable or is that going to far? what do you think?
Howard Platt answers:
Motivation and positive thinking pretty much go hand in hand. If you can maintain a positive attitude you will more likely have the drive or motivation to do what makes you feel the best about yourself.
You asked if your weight loss goal was achievable, it is absolutely achievable providing it is a healthy weight for you taking all other considerations into matter. Before embarking on any new weight loss and exercise plan it is always a good idea to check with your doctor first.
Assuming all is well health wise you will have to develop some self-motivation skills to get started and to keep it going once you do begin. You mentioned you need to find or develop an attitude of positive thinking and I couldn’t agree more.
The first issue that has to be addressed is your depression and depending on how severe your depression is I would first suggest you read through the page on this site in which I discuss my own personal battles with depression.
Finding the motivation is not difficult but you should expect it to come in stages. You can start by setting some very achievable goals because with every goal you achieve regardless of how big or small it will help to boost your motivation and improving your attitude to keep pushing forward.
Start off slow and easy so you do not become discouraged by trying to take on too much too fast. Actually you are already on the right tract because you have set a very achievable goal but I would suggest that you break it down into even smaller goals.
If you put together an exercise plan that you enjoy it will help with your motivation. Start off with something simple like going for a walk once or twice a day with a friend or your spouse.
Once you begin your exercise routine you will find it easier to think positive because exercise releases natural endorphins which are the feel good chemicals released in your brain.
You might also try some of the positive thinking exercises I discussed with the other readers.
I am not trying to duck your questions on this page however, you should check out this article increasing your motivation which offers some excellent tips and strategies for boosting ones motivation.
Aside from that I would tell you to be patient, believe in yourself and always have a positive expectant attitude because with positive thinking and positive expectations you can do anything. And that expectations part is critically important as you really do get what you expect out of life. If you expect to fail at something you will surely fail however on the other hand if you expect to succeed you increase your chances of success exponentially so you must always expect the best from every situation in your life.
I would wish you luck but that would imply you would need good luck to succeed so I will just wish you well because I know you can do it. God Bless!
Positive Thinking Exercises Questions And Answers Concluded
I hope you enjoyed this new format for answering questions I receive via email. Although I have dozens of questions to answer due to time constraints I have to keep each Q and A post between 1,500 and 2,000 words. I will try to choose and answer the questions that will be most helpful to as many people as possible.
With today’s post being dedicated to positive thinking exercises I hope that my answers have addressed the questions appropriately, however if you still have some related questions please leave them below this article and I will be sure to answer every one of them and please do not hesitate to email me.
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