Are you using the power of positivity?

Are you a glass half-empty or glass half-full kind of person? It turns out that your answer to this question could have a significant impact on your health and wellbeing.

Positive thinking and optimism play a key role in stress management which, in turn, has many health benefits. These include lower rates of depression, greater resistance to illnesses, improved cardiovascular health and even increased lifespan.?

If you want more positivity in your life, I’ve got a way of doing this completely free of charge - Advent Affirmations (you can find more details further down).

Understanding positive thinking and self-talk?

Positive thinking doesn't mean that you walk around with a permanent smile on your face, regardless of circumstances. It just means that you approach challenges in a more positive and productive way.?

You’ve often heard me talk about everything in life being down to the words you tell yourself and the images you create in your mind. Positivity is central to this and starts with the words you say, also known as self-talk.?

Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. The most powerful self-talk, however, is generated by past experiences and the beliefs you created as a result of those experiences. If these are negative, your self-talk (or ‘inner voice’) can become highly critical and focus on all the things you believe you can’t do, rather than what you can do.

The good news is that you have the power to change these thoughts.

How to create positive thinking

In my therapy work, I uncover negative beliefs and then help to change them. This allows my clients to move forward in life with a much more positive outlook.?

A good first step, even without therapy, is to train your brain to notice anything that’s positive. Every day, make a note of something that was good. It can be anything from enjoying a cup of coffee to nailing a dreaded presentation.

I’m currently coaching a teenager who is struggling at school and she messages me what’s been good about her day. Not only is this helping her, it has the added benefit of making me smile too. I absolutely love getting messages like “I did well at volleyball”, “I got coffee” or simply “skipping”.

Focussing on what’s good and enjoying it is producing feel-good hormones in her brain. That’s a great feeling, which her mind wants to repeat. Now her mind is actively seeking out the good moments in the day, and concentrating less on the negative.

“Each day provides its own gifts.” - Marcus Aurelius

Positive Affirmations

With this in mind, I created Advent Affirmations.

It started as a free antidote to all the adverts flooding my social media for expensive advent calendars. I’m sure they’re all lovely if you have extra cash to spare on top of buying presents, but equally do you really need more cosmetics or 25 pairs of Christmas themed socks?

Each day from 1st to 25th December, I send out a positive affirmation with a few words of encouragement at what can be a stressful time of year.

I’ve had so many lovely messages about the joy these bring and the benefit of starting the day with something uplifting.

So for the third year of Advent Affirmations, we’re adding something extra.

If you follow me on Facebook, you’ll know that on the 1st of January this year, in a rather hungover state, I committed to post about what my self-care had been that day - for the ENTIRE YEAR! This was mostly to keep myself accountable but, as the year’s gone on, many of you have told me that these posts have encouraged you to put more consideration into your own self-care.?

For 2023, if you sign up to receive daily affirmations directly to your inbox, you will also get a self-care tip. I hope to inspire you each day to think more positively and take care of yourself.?

And all this is FREE - and you don’t hear that very often at this time of year!

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, these daily messages are intended to lift your mood and inspire you to be just that little bit nicer to yourself.?

Even if you received them last year, you need to sign up again to get the 2023 affirmations and self-care tips. Just click this link Advent Affirmations

Please spread the positivity by sharing this link to friends and family, especially someone who may need a bit of a boost right now.

Be kind to yourself

Kate