Positive emotions can broaden our mindset, improve our health, make us more resilient, and counter unnecessary negative feelings. To live a fulfilling life, it’s essential to harness the power of positivity. So, how can we amplify and utilize these positive feelings?
Starting by reducing unwarranted negative emotions in our life is a splendid first step. Current research suggests that when our ratio of positive to negative experiences exceeds 3:1, we tend to be happier, more creative, and resilient.
11 Tactics to Increase Positive Emotions Daily
Method 1. Embrace Authenticity
Take a moment to appreciate the word “genuine.” To truly feel positive emotions, it’s crucial to slow down. In our fast-paced world, we’re often distracted, losing touch with our inner selves. Over time, this can numb our emotions. To foster positivity, rejuvenate your heart by allowing it to feel and be open. Slow down enough to genuinely observe, listen, and feel, rather than just using your eyes, ears, and brain. Breathe in deeply and connect with the beauty around you, immersing yourself in it with a sincere attitude. Fake positivity is merely negative emotion in disguise. To benefit from true positivity, whether it’s a smile, a touch, or a hug, immerse yourself in the genuine emotion it represents.
Method 2. Find Purpose in Life
One crucial way to elevate positive feelings is by seeking purpose in everyday situations. Scientists studying the emotional turmoil following the loss of loved ones found that those experiencing genuine positivity within their grief recovered faster. Some bereaved individuals nurtured positivity by reflecting on the virtues of their departed. Others did so by valuing the care they received from those still with them. Some reignited their positivity by resuming daily routines or helping others. Regardless of the method, positivity opened space in their hearts to plan and set goals for the future. What’s your life’s ultimate mission? Can it guide you back on track when life throws you off course?
Method 3. Savor the Good
Another strategy to boost positive feelings is to amplify the good in the good times, making positive events even more joyful. What do you tell yourself when something wonderful happens? How do you feel when luck is on your side? And when beautiful moments fade, what lingers in your mind? People’s reactions vary. Some let doubt lead the way, thinking “This can’t be real,” or “This won’t last.” Others might overlook these moments. Truly savoring these experiences often ties back to self-worth and feeling deserving of good fortune. Regardless, savoring is a mental habit you can cultivate.
A simple method to derive more joy from good moments is to share the news with loved ones. Engage them, celebrate together. If they support you positively, your happiness from that good news multiplies. Plus, your relationships flourish, weaving together in joyful interconnection, setting you on a cycle of continued positivity.
Method 4: Count Your Blessings
A simple way to shift your mindset is by recognizing and counting your blessings. Even the seemingly mundane aspects of daily life can truly be treasured gifts when viewed with appreciation. For instance, on your everyday commute to work, you might pass local shops. Maybe you’ve never really noticed the flowers displayed in buckets by a fruit stand. But one day, you do. Realizing how flowers bring joy to people, you can imagine someone later placing those flowers in a vase at home, sharing that joy. But right now, all that joy is yours. You marvel at the vibrant colors and the rich scent of the flowers, feeling invigorated. Your eyes brighten, your steps hasten, and you find yourself grateful for this daily encounter, anticipating the new displays each day. The joy you feel from these simple moments can be profound.
A few years ago, Oprah popularized the idea of keeping a gratitude journal, encouraging people to list five things they love every day. She claimed this simple exercise could “transform your entire life perspective.”
Method 5: Acknowledge Kindness
Kindness has multiple facets. When counting blessings, you often appreciate the kindness others show to you, evoking feelings of gratitude. Kindness and positivity go hand in hand. Recognizing acts of kindness can jumpstart this positive cycle. It’s essential to keep acts of kindness fresh and extraordinary. Establishing a designated “Day of Kindness” can help. This day could amplify your regular expressions of kindness, much like setting aside a day or an afternoon for volunteering can boost positivity. This could be why studies suggest helping others is linked to longevity.
Method 6: Follow Your Passion
Living with passion allows you to grant yourself the right to enjoy. Find unique activities that allow you to experience flow. Often, people find flow in their work. Considering the significant portion of our lives dedicated to work, it makes sense to pursue a job that enhances your daily positivity.
Method 7: Dream of Your Future
Another easy way to boost positivity is by frequently dreaming of your future. Visualize the best possible future for yourself in vivid detail. Those who are guided to practice this visualization tend to have steadier positive emotions than introspective individuals. While the mechanics of visualization are still under study, it is clear that it offers a deeper understanding of how daily goals align with future aspirations, helping identify more everyday joys.
Importantly, visualization activates brain regions similar to actual activity, which is why athletes swear by it. Mental practice can be as potent as physical practice. Visualization is especially useful for long-term projects like pursuing education, writing a book, or building community relationships.
Method 8: Utilize Your Strengths
People who get opportunities to do what they’re best at every day and act upon their strengths tend to thrive more. Strengths are highly individual and vary from person to person. Some strengths define where you can contribute most at work, and when combined, they determine the unique impact and contribution you can make to your life as a whole. Studies show that understanding your strengths can elevate you to new heights.
Method 9: Be with Others
Flourishing is not a solo endeavor. It’s scientifically proven that no one can truly reach their full potential in isolation. Those who truly flourish often have warm and dependable relationships with others, be it with a partner, close friends, family, or all of the above. In fact, compared to those who feel down, people who flourish tend to spend more of their daily time with their loved ones and less time alone. The connection between flourishing and having good social relations is so strong that it’s considered a vital ingredient for thriving. So, always make an effort to connect with people daily. Even if you’re not naturally outgoing, you can still make an effort.
Research shows that when you interact with others and simply act outgoing – being bold, talkative, energetic, proactive, and confident – you can gain more positive emotions from these interactions, no matter your natural disposition.
Method 10: Revel in the Beauty of Nature
Nature might be as pivotal to flourishing as our social circles. So, another simple way to boost positive vibes? Just step outside, especially when the weather is lovely. Everyone who spends time outside during nice weather shows a boost in positivity and broader thinking. Subsequent studies revealed these effects tend to shine during spring and early summer. When you immerse yourself in nature, its allure captures your attention and its vastness stretches your mind. Experiencing these qualities of nature likely brings about positive emotions and open-mindedness, making nature a healing and rejuvenating force.
Remember the study that said hospital patients with a view of lush greenery recovered faster? Similar research suggests spending time outdoors, connected to nature, puts us on a healing path. In short, outdoor activities can widen your horizons, expand your thinking, and just generally make you feel better.
Method 11: Open Your Heart and Mind
Positive emotions naturally open up our minds, much like a flower blooms with sunlight. The beauty in this is that positive emotions and openness go hand in hand, feeding and enhancing each other. This means another lever you can pull to boost positivity is to maintain an open mind. Stay open, and positive feelings will follow.
Meditation is a clever way to enhance openness. But it’s not the only way. Another path is reducing certain thinking habits that tend to constrict and segment our experiences.
In Summary
Some methods are simple. Open your eyes to kindness and gratitude; savor their beauty when you see them; visualize your wonderful future; become more social; take a walk outside. These small shifts can elevate positive emotions anytime. Other strategies might demand more effort. Redesigning your job or life to lean into your strengths; learning to meditate with mindfulness and compassion; turning positive sense-making into your go-to mental habit. While these self-transformation tasks might seem more challenging, the positive emotional rewards they offer have been shown to be immense. Investing effort into these strategies is undoubtedly worth it.
