Help Your Child Develop a Positive Attitude: Here’s How

Jerry Daskoski's image of a little girl looking surprisedPositive thinking as a medical practice has grown in popularity in recent years. Research shows that optimism goes far beyond the idea of a glass being half full or empty, and can, in fact, be the difference in managing stress and the ailments which comes as a result, like heart disease, digestive issues, headaches, and insomnia. While adults understand this concept well, extending it to children is not as common; nevertheless, it certainly makes sense to lay a foundation for these practices and develop positive mindsets in children as early as possible, rather than undoing the harm later in life.

While some may believe that children can’t understand positive thinking as a concept, research shows that children as young as five begin to make associations of behaviors and emotion and, through cognition, can decipher how certain situations make them or others feel, whether positive, negative or indifferent. Furthermore, as children grow, they become better with those associations. Those in whom positive thinking is nurtured are said to be more resilient and better able to deal with upsets.

The importance of such cannot be overstated. Being able to manage stress will ultimately lead to more successful opportunities, relationships and better overall health, over time. Here are some ways parents and professionals who work with children can introduce positive thinking:

Be An Example
Children mimic nearly everything adults do. Their behaviors are learned as a result of what we say or how we act in front of them, whether we’re aware of it or not. Thus, this is one of the first and perhaps most important tool through which one can affect his or her child’s positive mindset. Having already established, or at least committing to, a set personal positive practices makes this step easy.

Count  Blessings
It’s important to have conversations with your child about what he or she is feeling or their experiences throughout the day. First, listen attentively to what the child has to say in full. While doing so, take note of every emotion. Acknowledge all of the bad feelings or experiences, they are important; however, probe the child about what good happened to them today, no matter how small. If there are no good things, suggest some which the child may have overlooked. Doing so may help the child recall them going forward, leading to more positivity overtime.

Affirmations
There is no doubt that parents love their children and have appreciation for small behaviors or characteristics which their children display. Affirming the child with what makes them great or when they accomplish a task goes a long way. This step is as simple as expressing to the child that he or she is smart, handsome, kind, or a number of other positive affirmations. It helps.

Prohibit Complaining
There’s a huge difference between expressing discontent and complaining. Discourage your child from complaining about behavior; instead, empower them to develop solutions to what is bothering them. Doing so teaches children that even when negatives things occur, countering them with positive actions puts them in control, helping them gain more independence and control of their own lives.

Six Calming Habits To Build For A Happier and Healthier Day

No StressToday’s busy lifestyle has many benefits. There is an argument to be made that, as a society, we are more active, interconnected, productive, vocal, and involved than ever before. However, all this activity does carry a cost. High stress, caused by the unceasing anxiety over professional and personal duties, has become a deeply rooted part of our daily life. It is certainly a challenge to find enough opportunity to enjoy peace, serenity, and calm.

When something happens outside of your control, it is always critical to evaluate and engage with what is (and is not) inside your ability to impact. You cannot decide how other peoples or other external forces will behave. All you can do is control your response. That is what matters. Happily, there are a few best practices that anyone can adopt to create substantial feelings of calm for longer stretches of time.

Start Your Day On The Right Foot

A calming morning ritual is absolutely crucial to begin your day on a positive note. Most individuals have the bad habit of waking up and immediately diving into a stressful and over-extended rush. A few simple tweaks to your schedule can alter that for the better, permanently. Wake up a little bit earlier than you absolutely need to and take some time to meditate. You can even hit a few yoga poses to clear your mind and stretch. Afterwards, use the remaining extra time to write out anything that may already be on your mind. This can be something as routine as a dream journal or perhaps something with more immediately tangible utility like your hopes for the day or a to-do list to help you reach those goals. However you choose to spend this time when you wake up, just be sure that you are allowing yourself sufficient quiet time in the morning to adopt a positive mindset and begin your day feeling good.

Think First, React Later

Take a moment to consider the last time an unexpected stressor arose in your life. How did you respond? Certain personalities are more inclined to jump into action. This sort of reflex, although direct, can also be harmful. Some people freeze up and get angry or experience sensations of being overwhelmed. Other folks may sink into a depressed state of self-pity and waste energy wishing things were different (but fail to take action to make those desires a reality). Learning how to monitor your own preferences in terms of response is the first step in altering your behavior to be more positive. You need to fully understand how you act when confronted with stress so you can put an action plan to improve your outcomes into place.

Accept That It Is Not Personal

It is not uncommon for the responses you demonstrate when presented with stress to be rooted in an emotional overinvestment in the situation at hand. When something we do not like happens, it can be easy to assume that someone or something has conspired against us specifically. In part, it can be somewhat reassuring to assume we play a more central role or have some sort of control or input in the situations which end up affecting us. In truth, that often is not at all the case. The universe is not against you personally. Every person has problems with which they are dealing. It helps to recognize they everyone is more likely than not just doing the best they can. Do not assume any event is a personal affront – instead, recognize that external events just happen and whether you choose to respond by getting stressed or staying calm is entirely within your control.

Give Thanks

It is incredibly easy to pay lip-service to saying thank you or expressing genuine gratitude in any other way. However, how often do you honestly live up to this ideal in your day-to-day life? When life gets hectic, and it feels like the sky is crashing down all around us, can you still find it in yourself to be grateful for all the things that are going excellently in your life? It is certainly much easier to just complain or fall into an otherwise predominantly negative mindset. However, choosing to hold steadfastly to the positive things going on in your life and articulating your genuine appreciation for them is an amazing habit – even if you just express it to yourself. As you engage with everything that is going well, you will almost literally feel the stress of other events roll off you as your perspective refocuses and it becomes clear once again that you can comfortably handle whatever it is that life is throwing your way.

Find The Right Outlet

Unfortunately, many people have unproductive (at best) or outright destructive (at worst) responses to feelings of stress. Withdrawing from life, falling into junk food, substance abuse, or similarly irresponsible reactions to stress often only make your situation worse and more difficult to resolve. When you notice the need to cope with stress, work hard to replace bad habits in terms of how your respond with better ones. Health coping methods can include something simple like taking 15 minutes to brew a cup of soothing tea and sit somewhere quiet while you enjoy it. You can also try drinking water, exercise, or talking with someone you trust as better ways to deal with stress as it comes up.

Ditch Multitasking

People multitask these days more than they ever have before. With the permeation of technology throughout what feels like every conceivable facet of our entire lives, it can seem odd to choose to single task. However, if you could do just one thing at a time, what would it be at this moment? That question is a great way to identify your priorities and get what you need done accomplished in a less stressful manner. When you are juggling too many different metaphorical balls, you are sure to spend your day at a high stress level just waiting to drop one. Instead, hit your tasks one a time and pat yourself on the back for each thing you do ell and finish. You will find that working in this way allows you to let go of the stress associated with everything else on your plate and just make progress one step at a time.