17 Tips to Increase Positive Thinking and Be More Optimistic

At one time or another, you've probably heard the expression “think positive" or “be optimistic.” But as familiar as this advice is, many people don't understand how to think positively or cultivate optimism or why they’re important. Aside from the daily motivation it can bring, positive thinking has been shown to have many health benefits, including improving feelings of depression or anxiety and promoting resilience and overall self-confidence.¹

Here are 17 ways to help you do the same:

1. Keep a Gratitude Journal

Staying grateful can help change your mindset, so consider keeping a gratitude journal. Every day, write down something that makes you happy or that you're grateful for. It can be something simple, like a song you love, kind words from a coworker or a flower that's blooming in your yard. Research shows it does more than just give you a momentary boost of good feelings — expressing gratitude is associated with a reduction in pessimism, depression and anxiety, to name a few.²

2. Reframe Negative Thoughts

A good step toward positive thinking is to identify your negative thoughts so you can turn them around into something positive. Then, when you find yourself focusing on the negative, stop and reframe it through a positive lens. Instead of thinking "I failed," for example, reframe it as "I'm proud of myself for trying" or "That really took some courage to attempt."³

3. Practice Positive Self-Talk

Now that you’ve begun to acknowledge and reframe negative thoughts, it’s time to increase your positivity. This includes extending compassion to yourself, focusing on your strengths and challenging unrealistic expectations of yourself. Avoid being critical and, instead, talk to yourself as gently and kindly as you would any loved one.⁴

4. Reflect on Positive Past Experiences

It’s probably no surprise that when you review positive past experiences, it gives your brain a boost. Reflecting on happy past moments can make people feel less anxiety, loneliness and stress. When you couple this with gratitude, it can provide an even bigger mood boost.⁵

5. Offer Kindness to Others

If you want to feel better about yourself and the world, start by making someone else feel good first. Whether that’s bringing a coworker a cup of coffee or stopping by the store for a sick friend, you might be surprised how much better you feel after caring for others.³

6. Choose What You Feed Your Thoughts

Your mind is like a sensitive computer — whatever inputs you give it will determine how well it works. If you feed your mind positive thoughts, you’re more likely to get positive results, particularly in mood, self-esteem and self-confidence. Therefore, choosing a more positive focus for your thoughts may lead to increased optimism and overall positive feelings.⁴

7. Imagine Your Best Self

Psychologists know the power of positive visualization. Creating vivid mental pictures of the version of yourself you want to be can actually seed the ground for you to feel better about yourself and think more optimistically. The more detailed and clear your mental pictures are, the more effective they may be.⁶

8. Don’t Compare Yourself

If you’re comparing yourself to others for any reason, from looks to success, it’s likely harming your sense of self or outlook. Comparisons, a socially learned behavior, can reduce well-being, sink your productivity and even harm your relationships. Adopt some of the other habits on this list to get free from this unhelpful tendency.⁷

9. Focus on Solutions

If you want to feel more optimistic about the present and the future, adopt a problem-solving or solutions-oriented mindset. This technique can instill a positive attitude and lend confidence to overcome problems. Sometimes, it requires the help of a therapist, but with practice, you can begin to do it for yourself without intervention.⁸

10. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness, a form of focused attention on the present moment where you don’t judge or criticize your thoughts, is a great way to improve your mood and build optimism. Couple it with some deep breathing exercises to help calm your body and mind, too.⁴

11. Repeat Daily Affirmations

Write down some statements that affirm you and what you’re capable of — maybe “I’m smart and kind.” Repeat these daily in your mind, out loud or in your journal anytime you’re feeling stressed.¹

12. Change Your Perspective

It might sound easier said than done, but if your current attitude or perspective is keeping you feeling negative or pessimistic, you can change. Whether through therapeutic effects like cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based stress interventions or just willpower, you have more control over your mindset than you realize.⁹

13. Take Care of Your Body’s Needs

Your physical health or well-being can be a harbinger of your mental state. If your body’s needs aren’t being met — through exercise, sleep and good nutrition — your mind may have a difficult time staying optimistic. Be sure to prioritize your full health.⁴

14. Surround Yourself With Positive People

If you want to feel more positive and optimistic, surround yourself with people who exhibit such traits. The more you expose yourself to these attitudes and behaviors, the more likely you are to adopt them, too.⁴

15. Avoid Catastrophizing

Catastrophizing is a form of cognitive distortion where your thoughts begin to spiral out of control toward a negative outcome that feels inevitable, beyond actual evidence. You could call it the opposite of optimism. First, you need to be aware you’re doing it and then employ an intervention, such as mindfulness, reality testing (getting evidence to refute the fear), thought reframing or seeking cognitive behavioral therapy to help.¹⁰

16. Acknowledge Things Beyond Your Control

While feeling in control is often associated with greater well-being, drawing on optimism — defined as having faith in a positive future outcome — offers a sense of hope that persists, even in uncertain times. You can learn to let go of anything that is beyond your control and strive to focus only on what you can control in the present or near future.¹¹

17. Act Like an Optimist

Optimists may be unfairly associated with Pollyanna-style thinking, as though they never see the negative. In truth, optimists are simply adaptable. They lean toward the hope and belief that things will work out, and they adapt to environments, engage in problem-solving and are more likely to be proactive in their lives. These are skills anyone can learn.⁴

Just remember: Positive thinking isn't about ignoring unpleasant realities — it's about approaching those tough times in a more productive manner and practicing new emotional strategies. It all starts with how you talk to yourself.

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Author Bio

Jordan Rosenfeld has been freelance writing for 21 years about finances, health, education and more. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Billfold, Good Magazine, GOBanking Rates, Daily Worth, Quartz, Medical Economics, The New York Times, PayPal, The Washington Post and more.