How to Think Positive And Be Happy

Many people out there are looking for an answer to how to think positive and be happy. If you are among them, we will outline some effective techniques, strategies and steps to ensure happiness and positive thinking in your life. Do you know that a lot of people are stuck in psychological conditions and victims of despair and unhappiness?

The prime cause behind this dismal state is no other than their speechlessness regarding positive thinking and happiness.

In this article, we will find how to think postivive and be happy, how to develop attitude and personality and how to nurture positive thoughts. We will also discuss the benefits of positive thinking, 3 great positive thinking techniques, and some common challenges to positive thinking and happiness.

What Is Positive Attitude?

A positive attitude includes optimism, hope, courage, honesty, and positive self-talk. Together, these elements play an important role in promoting positivity and skills for dealing with difficult situations and feelings. So, when people say to adopt a “be positive” attitude, they want to imply that there is much more to life than becoming stressed or hopeless.

In simple terms, a positive attitude entails everything except hopelessness, self-doubt, self-cursing, guilt, and pessimism. After all, these are the very factors that often result in negative thinking and unhappy people.

Positive Attitude Examples

Let’s explore some examples that project a positive attitude in a person.

Example 1

Suppose you have tried hard to get a job. Everything went so well that you start believing you will be hired. Unfortunately, the hiring team does not consider you for the role. Here comes the role of a positive thinking attitude. 

In this regard, positive thinking will allow you to see the brighter side of the tunnel. So, if you have the habit of thinking positively, you’d assume that someone more expert may have captured the opportunity. Or you will strive to enhance your skills to avoid future rejections.

Example 2

Now, consider another scenario. Imagine your friend makes you feel low in every situation. No matter how hard you try, he doesn’t value your efforts. If you had a negative attitude, you’d probably hit him in the face the next time he scolds you. However, being a positive thinker, you’d try to understand your friend’s state of mind. You may offer him some help by asking what’s wrong with him.

Having this attitude will not only help you grow psychologically but may also provide some relief to your friend.

What Are The Benefits Of Positive Thinking?

Positive thinking is a wholesome phenomenon that influences almost every aspect of our lives. It is not some pre-birth trait. Instead, it is a skill that is learned as we grow in any given environment. From personal to professional levels, positive thinking helps us grow and prosper.

Let’s examine its benefits briefly.

1. Conflict Resolution

First things first, positive thinking helps resolve conflicts. Undoubtedly, we bear stress and pressure every day. Because we get tired mentally, we often vent our frustration on others, ultimately making matters worse. With positive thinking, however, all our conflicts can be resolved. 

As Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor, once said: “ A man is as unhappy and stressed as he convinced himself he is”. Therefore, if you give positive thinking a lead, chances are all the tensions you face may disappear. 

2. Helps Avoiding Overthinking

Moreover, positive thinking helps you pay less attention to the harsh words of others. Because positive thinking allows you to understand the intensity of a situation, you may respond in a different tone than the speaker. Doing this will prevent you from overthinking and creating imaginary scenarios.

As Sylvester McNutt III argues: “You will continue to suffer if you have an emotional reaction to everything that is said to you. Instead, stay positive and try to understand the dynamics of the situation”.

3. Increased Immunity

Another benefit of positive thinking is that it helps increase immunity. The mind has enough impact on our body. Whatever the mind perceives, good or bad, reflects on our bodies. So, your psychological immunity is enhanced when you think positively and avoid negativity. This is not just a castle in the air. Many studies prove the veracity of this assumption. Therefore, positive thinking is fundamental to keeping your physical and psychological health intact.

4. Lasting Happiness

In the same way, positive thinking ultimately results in happiness. When you think positively of yourself and others, your perception of people also changes. Not only does this eradicate prejudices and judgments, but it also enhances happiness. If positive thinking had not been for this attribute, people would have long denied being kind and cheerful to others.

5 Ways To Stay Positive

Following are the 5 ways to stay positive in any given situation.

1. Ensuring positive self-talk is one of the fundamental aspects of staying positive. The more you tell yourself that you are positive, the more you will be happier.

2. Similarly, exposing yourself to positive literature can also ensure a positive attitude. This reminds us of Bertrand Russel’s historical words regarding happiness. He argues that positive thinking and happiness are the product of healthy reading. Given the important role of literature in your life, the more optimistic readings you have, the more you’ll stay positive. 

3. Next to literature is defying the public opinion. We all live up to someone’s opinion. Be it our family, friend circle, or personal relationships, we somehow try to conform to their ideals. Amidst this, our very personality traits fade. So, the deal here is to never conform to public opinion. Doing this will allow you to work on what you actually are. That, by the way, eventually leads to a positive attitude. So, if you are thinking about how to positive self-talk, reading meaningful literature is the key.

4. Furthermore, relying too much on external factors such as money, luxuries, and materialistic gains can negatively influence one’s positivity. Hence, it is important to give equal weight to internal (positive self-talk, mental peace, self-care, and empathy) and external factors. These elements will surely help you stay positive.

5. Lastly, a life full of excitement is exhausting. When you need a continuous thrill to stay energetic and excited, you take many things as ordinary happenings. When such situations happen, one begins to think of life as meaningless, and negativity takes charge. So, keeping a low profile and extracting only necessary things from life are the keys to staying positive.

How To Develop Attitude And Personality?

Attitude and personality are two sides of the same coin. The absence of one may lead to the perishing of the whole coin. However, the real question is how to develop attitude and personality. 

Let’s explore some factors.

1. The willingness to change oneself is the prime element for developing attitude and personality. If a person is unwilling to accept things as they are, no outside power can convince him to adopt a positive attitude. Similarly, personality develops only when self-care is prioritized. 
   
   People need to heed things that hinder personality development to ensure the chances of a well-developed personality become manageable. If we summarise the point in words, willingness and acceptability lead to developing a positive attitude and personality.
   
2. Moreover, self-esteem is another important factor that helps develop attitude and personality. When you have confidence in your worth and abilities, your attitude and personality are shaped accordingly. People with lower self-esteem usually suffer from negative thoughts, self-doubt, anxiety, and regressive personality. 
   
   Note here that lower self-esteem is not depressing despite overlapping. Instead, lower self-esteem is a contributing factor to depression. As a result, positive attitude and personality grooming take a back seat. Even the Chinese philosopher Confucius said to respect yourself, and others will respect you. Hence, building self-esteem is one of the best ways to develop attitude and personality.
   
3. A well-suited appearance also plays an important role in developing attitude and personality. Many studies have shown that attire and dressing result in a dominant personality and attitude. So, the deal is to take care of your dressing. The more gorgeous it is, the more groomed the personality will be.

3 Great Positive Thinking Techniques

Reading this section thoroughly will resolve your query about how to think positive and be happy and how to be more positive.

Technique 1: Continuously Avoid Negative Thoughts

To learn how to stay positive, you must avoid negative thoughts. People usually argue that controlling negative thoughts is not in their control. However, this is a widespread myth. Your brain follows the instructions you give it. Hence, the more you avoid negative thinking, the more you will be positive. The more you practice positive thinking, the more you will be able to avoid negative thinking.


Roger Sperry conducted an experiment that showed the patient a needle and a cobra. To analyze the power of the brain, the scientists veiled the patient’s eyes and injected a needle. The patient took the needle for the cobra and died instantly. Therefore, don’t worry; be happy.

Technique 2: Exposure To Positive People

To know how to think positive and be happy, you should increase your acquaintance with positive people. The best way to judge whether a person is negative or positive is to ask situational questions. 

For instance, you can ask for a person’s opinion about gender inequality. If he responds in favor of the concept, know that he is a positive person. Meeting with positive people will also influence your thinking. This technique might remind you of a proverb about a man who is known by the company he keeps. Therefore, it is essential to expose yourself to positive people to understand how to nurture positive thoughts.

Technique 3: Control Your Emotions

And the last great technique of positive thinking is controlling emotions. It is human nature to get emotional sometimes. However, logic and reasoning take a back seat when emotions run high. More often than not, we give precedence to our emotions voluntarily. So, the deal is to control your emotions. Doing this will automatically provide some space for positive thinking. Also, this will allow you to learn how to nurture positive thoughts.

How To Be Happy?

Happiness is one of the most misinterpreted emotions in the world. We humans assume that materialistic gains may result in happiness. Remember, anything perishable in a short period can only attain temporary happiness. 

So, let us consider those factors that are trustworthy sources of happiness.

3 Ways to Be Happy

The Importance of Family in Achieving Happiness

Remember Al Pacino’s historical dialogue in “The Godfather”? While slamming his brother, the man says,” I love you, but never take sides against family ever again.” This may seem a mere dialogue to those who don’t think, but in reality, family plays a fundamental role in happiness. 

In his book “The Conquest of Happiness”, Bernard Russel argues that the modern man is unhappy because he has no time for his family. With such fragmented relationships, happiness is the least expected arrival in one’s life. Hence, if you want to be happy, try to give your best to your family. Everything else will take care of itself.

Role Of Affection

Affection is the feeling of closeness and empathy to someone one likes. As for its role in happiness, affection urges one to adopt a positive attitude towards others. With positivity and affection, one can ensure happiness in one’s life.

Diminishing Envy

Envy is one of the universal and deep-seated human passions. It is very apparent in children. The very slight gesture of giving one child precedence to the other automatically invokes the feeling of envy. Similarly, adults, too, get jealous of their fellow beings over the latter achievements.

Therefore, if this very feeling of envy is overcome, we can give happiness a chance.

How Does Positive Thinking Encourage Happiness?

Let’s understand how positive thinking encourages happiness. 

Builds Self Confidence

Having confidence is not a hard nut to crack. However, numerous people around us don’t feel confident enough. This does not imply that every shy person is a negative thinker. Positive thinking helps build self-confidence. 

For example, imagine you are going to a debate at your college. The administration is looking for an impromptu(unprepared) speech. If you are a negative thinker, you would be inclined towards pessimist block. This will not only derail your self-confidence but also further worsen your mental state. 

If you are a positive thinker, you might likely project an optimistic view of any given topic. Therefore, positive thinking and confidence ultimately lead to happiness.

Changes The Perspective About Life

Philosophically speaking, positive thinking changes one’s perspective about life. We all live a life. We all have some unresolved matters that keep us indulged in unnecessary overthinking. Positive thinking, in this regard, allows one to see the other side of the tunnel. 

And the thing that alters our opinion about life is no other than positive thinking. For instance, positive thinking lets you know other people’s perspectives deeply. This paradigm shift urges one to take others as humans. 

When you consider everyone an ordinary human being capable of making mistakes like you, your thinking patterns dramatically shift 360 degrees. Not only is emptiness outdone, but your perspective also changes, and you feel content and happy. 

Reduces Stress And Anxiety

In the same way, when psychological phenomena such as stress, anxiety, and depression are minimized, happiness takes a huge toll on human life. According to the World Health Organisation(WHO), at present, more than 800 million people worldwide are facing some kind of anxiety and depression.

Psychologically speaking, aren’t these the prime cause of negative thinking? Yes, they are. In fact, these conditions actually promote the feeling of emptiness and unhappiness in human life.

Positive thinking in this regard plays a pivotal role. Not only does it overcome stress and anxiety, but it also improves the mental health of individuals. Thus, positive thinking reduces stress and promotes happiness.

Enhances Relationships

Relationships are what drive our lives smoothly. It has been said that the more you think positively, the more valuable your relationship will be. And this is not just a random observation. 

Marriages last only when both partners take refuge in positive thinking; children prosper only when brought up in a positive environment. As a result, happiness becomes a fateful achievement.

Common Challenges to Positive Thinking and Happiness

As we have discussed many aspects of positive thinking and happiness, let’s look at some common challenges that hinder our way to being positive.

I. Stressful Environment

Well, this is one of the widely acknowledged factors that make people’s lives a living hell. After all, a peaceful and calm work environment is the most needed thing in human life. When the environment becomes toxic and unbearable, the chances of being positive and happy become bleak. Resultantly, it makes an individual a negative thinker and psychologically depressed, let alone an optimistic thinker.

Hence, a stressful work environment plays a massive role in making a person a negative thinker and psychologically depressed. When such factors are at play, positive thinking takes a backseat.

II. Isolation And Social Anxiety

In the same way, isolation and social anxiety are obstacles to becoming a positive thinker. Isolation and social anxiety are interlinked in a way that both lead to negative thinking and unhappiness.

Consider the findings of an expert, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, who argues that loneliness and social anxiety lead to overthinking and stress. As a result, not only is the individual deprived of positive thinking, but he also becomes unhappy and depressed with each passing day.

All in all, we can argue that isolation and social anxiety are prominent factors contributing to negative thinking and refraining from positive ones.

III. Impact Of Music And Literature

Yes, you read it right. Music and literature have also proven to be obstacles to positive thinking. Several studies and psychologists agree that music and literature make people more inclined to negative thinking. 

Apart from Freud’s infamous Psychosexual Development Theory, the man writes in his book “Beyond The Pleasure Principle” about the impact of music. 

He argues that because psychologies are not formed, music leads one to psychological darkness. We can conclude that when psychologies are contaminated, positive thinking and happiness become a forlorn hope.

Similarly, when someone is exposed to Smut literature, the desire to attain pleasure increases. As a result, optimism and enthusiasm fall far from the development cycle. Therefore, music and literature are the major hurdles in thinking positively and becoming happy.

IV. Negative Self Talk

Lastly, but importantly, negative self-talk also outdoes positive thinking and happiness. As George Orwell wrote in his novel 1984,” If the same lie is told again and again, it becomes a truth for future generations.” 

Similarly, when you continuously tell yourself something negative, your mind considers it the actual fact. The line between imagination and reality fades. As a result, all the positivity and happiness are lost somewhere in the way.

How To Be Happy With Yourself?

Being happy and content with oneself has become a must. Everyone must learn the art of being happy with oneself to have a peaceful life.

Ensuring Physical Well-being

This assumption may be wrong, but everyone wants to be happy. One way to be happy is to ensure one’s physical well-being. You begin feeling content and satisfied when you go through a hectic exercise. Many studies have validated this point. Consider the example of the University of Vermont. According to the survey, 20 minutes of robust exercise can cheer up the mood for the next 12 hours.

So, your mood and behavior will improve only when you are happy with yourself. Exercise plays a fundamental role in this process. Therefore, physical well-being can be an answer to how to be happy with yourself.

Positive Contemplation

We all think, no doubt. But the way we think creates a difference. If you are looking for happiness around you, you are probably digging the wrong grave. Happiness is found within you. The more you contemplate positively, the greater your happiness level will be. Since positive contemplation outdoes negative thoughts, so feeling content and satisfied with yourself is natural. 

So, to become happy, positive contemplation is the key.

Do Not Conform To Societal Norms

Society plays a huge role in our lives. Since we grow up in a particular culture or society, we subconsciously become accustomed to its norms. As these patterns become a part of our decisions, we try to conform to cultural norms.

For example, you may want to marry your boyfriend. In a more conservative society such as Afghanistan, you can’t even think of taking that step. Resultantly, emptiness and despair surround your psychology.
The key here is to defy all societal norms that influence your judgments and life.

Journaling

Bleeding on paper relieves stress. This practice is handy so that you can try it right away. It is psychologically proven that you eventually feel light when you write your stress or negative thoughts. Therefore, if you want to be happy with yourself, writing is the key.

When Marcus Aurelius was surrounded by his opponent, he managed to find some time to write. This allowed him to drop his fears and focus on the battle. As a result, he successfully pushed his opponents away from the Roman borders. 

Key Takeaways From the Book “The Conquest Of Happiness” By Bertrand Russel

Before concluding our write-up, let us have an overview of the book “The Conquest Of Happiness”.

• The habit of looking to the future and thinking that the whole meaning of the present lies in what it will bring forth is a harmful one.

• The root cause of negativity and unhappiness springs from too much emphasis on competitive success as the main source of happiness.

• What hunger is in relation to food, zest is in relation to life. The more the happy man brings zest in his life, the more positive and happy he will be.

• Human nature is so constructed that it gives affection most readily to those who seem least to demand it. As a result, one’s belief in affection and love eventually derails to the extent that one does not feel any urge to feel love or kindness towards others.

• However important a worry may be, it should not be considered throughout the whole of waking hours.

• Even in the pursuit of really important objects, it is unwise to become so deeply involved emotionally that the thought of possible failure becomes a constant menace to the peace of mind.

• We should desire the happiness of those whom we love, but not as an alternative to our own.

•  Whoever wishes to increase human happiness must wish to increase admiration and to diminish envy.

Following these instructions will allow you to learn how to positive self talk and stay positive.

Conclusion 

That was all about how to think positive and be happy. We have a detailed discussion on how to nurture positive thoughts and what are the benefits of positive thinking.  Adhering to this piece on how to think positive and be happy will change your life. We have also included positive attitude examples and a guide on how to be happy with yourself. Moreover, we have also discussed common challenges to positive thinking and how positive thinking encourages happiness. 

If you are curious to explore more about positive thinking and happiness, enroll in our free course on positive thinking on Eduta.

Frequently Asked Questions About How To Think Positive And Be Happy