Your mental attitude influences every aspect of your life, and that’s not just supposition. Science has shown that, even in the face of life’s numerous challenges, staying hopeful and enthusiastic can boost your motivation and general enjoyment of life while strengthening your relationships. That said, maintaining a positive mental attitude is far easier said than done, but there are a number of life changes you can make to get there.
What is a positive mental attitude?
A positive mental attitude is, in short, seeing the glass half full instead of half empty. It’s engaging in the everyday with excitement and enthusiasm, seeking to find the best in people and situations and choosing to stay positive even when the going gets a little tough. A positive mental attitude means going about your days without letting life’s inevitable ups and downs take their toll.
Why is a positive mental attitude important?
A positive mental attitude isn’t just something that can make you feel good. It can also have a significant impact on your physical wellbeing. A 35-year, 13,674-person study published in the Journal of Aging Research in 2018 concluded that a positive mental attitude can “improve the quantity as well as the quality of life.”
Positive mental attitude characteristics
It’s one thing to decide that you’d like to achieve a positive mental attitude, but what does this mindstate actually comprise? Many experts would describe all of the following as characteristics of a positive mental attitude — and, they’re characteristics that are backed by science:
- Optimism: According to a 1985 study in the scientific journal Health Psychology, optimism is directly correlated with improved outcomes.
- Acceptance: Become comfortable with the prospect of failure or things not turning out exactly how you hoped. When mistakes or unexpected events happen, take them as learning opportunities.
- Resilience: A 2003 study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology correlated resilience with lower depression rates in the wake of crises. Instead of calling it quits in the face of any challenge, work to get back up and try again.
- Gratitude: It’s easy to take the things and people around you for granted. Saying and showing how much you care and appreciate someone or something goes a long way toward establishing a positive mental attitude. A 2003 study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology correlated gratitude with a positive mental attitude.
- Mindfulness: Devote your mind to being aware of your surroundings, focusing on what’s in front of you without judgment. A 2010 study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology concluded that “mindfulness-based therapy is a promising intervention for and mood problems in clinical populations.”
- Integrity: Prioritize other people and things as much as you care for yourself. A 2002 study conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison concluded that “among adults, well-being is positively associated with moral integrity and state is negatively associated with moral integrity.”
Eight tips to help achieve a positive mental attitude
Now that you know the core characteristics of a positive mental attitude, it’s time to set goals to help you get there. These tips can help:
- 1. Be in control of your actions: While frustrating or stressful situations unfold around you, there is only one thing you can directly control: yourself. Even if you can’t bend things to your will, your thoughts, actions, and reactions shape your individual impact on the world around you.
- 2. Remember you are powerful: Just because you’re only a tiny speck among billions of people on this planet doesn’t make you powerless. Exactly the opposite is true: Every choice you make or action you take can have a positive (or negative) impact on the world around you.
- 3. Balance your body and mind: Equally balancing your body and your mind is key to achieving a positive mental attitude. Cannabidiol (CBD) can help bring you back to balance.* This phytocannabinoid, sourced from hemp, interacts with your body’s endocannabinoid system, the key to maintaining homeostasis, or your body’s way of being.* New to CBD? Our Go-To Elixir is a great place to start. This beverage mixer contains 10mg of CBD, pre-measured in single packs that can be taken anywhere.
- 4. Believe in yourself: Prioritizing your own self-esteem may help keep your stress levels low.
- 5. Set wellness goals: Developing a positive mental attitude isn’t an easy, one-day task. Instead, set realistic short-term and long-term wellness goals that you can easily achieve.
- 6. Work on your focus: With better focus comes a stronger work-life balance and, thereby, lower stress levels. If you lose focus throughout your workday, you might have to finish your work at home outside your usual office hours, and this disruption to your lifestyle can upset your mental balance. Our Brain Fuel Elixir can help you to strengthen your focus.
- 7. Power your brain: An empowered brain is better equipped to tackle challenges, feel hopeful, and lead you toward a positive mental attitude. Many substances such as brain-boosting nootropics can power your brain without the potential overstimulation of caffeine. We use the nootropic Rhodiola in our Brain Fuel Elixir to support your creativity, memory and, of course, focus.*
- 8. Take time for yourself (and relax): In the modern era, it can sometimes feel hard to power down. Despite the rapid pace of the world today, taking time to unwind and relax alone is paramount to achieving a positive mental attitude. Carve a self-care day into your schedule and treat yourself to a calming, hot bath with our Bath Gem CBD bath bomb. Follow your bath with a CBD-infused drink for ultimate relaxation.
There’s no one perfect path toward achieving a positive mental attitude, but if you take the initiative to change the way you approach the world and treat your body and brain, you’ll get there in due time. Whether you have to restructure your usual schedule, remind yourself to appreciate the world around you, or incorporate CBD into your daily routine, achieving a positive mental attitude is always possible — even when it doesn’t feel that way.
