Useful habits to promote positive thinking post pandemic

Andrew Lloyd of Beaver PA first asks himself if I can change the situation. If I can, I do. If I can’t, I then have to decide how to feel about it, because that’s my only option. I choose how to feel. In several areas of my life, I’ve been able to turn a whole lot of pain and anger into positive thoughts.

Every day write down one positive thing you are grateful for. This has two effects: 1) it forces you to review each day in a positive light. 2) you begin to approach each day trying to find something positive in it. The cumulative effect is that your perspective becomes rooted to one of optimism and gratitude. You can read it when you’re down.

Every week you should type out what your goals are. Then every day you should write down everything you are grateful for. Scan the world for the positive instead of the negative. Carry with you a positive object that you can grasp in your hand when something good or negative happens to you. You can see the good or reflect on why the negative can turn into a positive.

Don’t isolate yourself. Get out and interact with people, even in small ways. Talk, joke, laugh with people every day, even if you have to dash out to the store at 9 pm to make your ‘quota’. We’re simple. Not that different from everything else. And strangely our cause and effects are clearly linked together. Like, if you smile, you WILL feel happier. It happens, it works.

Read Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius. It’s 100-some pages, it’s easy to read, and it’s free on Project Gutenburg.