The power of positive thinking

With some clever brain training, you can learn to default to a positive frame of mind to make it much easier to achieve your weight loss goals.

Unfortunately there’s nothing any of us can do to stop life throwing us the occasional curve ball, but it’s incredible how much positive thinking can help us cope with whatever comes our way.

Positive thinking is ultimately about re-positioning our self-talk (that running internal dialogue that runs through our minds on any given day) to look on the bright side, seeing setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow. See below our tips on how to have a positive mind frame.

The power of the re-frame.

A big part of positive thinking is about learning to re-frame situations with a more helpful bent.

So instead of a skipped home workout or indulgent birthday dinner being seen as failing on your health mission, re-framed version of events might be, “That was a special night and now I’ll get back on track in my pursuit of better health,” or, “Rest is an important part of good health. Now that I’ve had a break, I’m ready to get back to my routine”.

The more you practise re-framing your self-talk in a positive way, the more automatic it will become.

Be grateful.

If you tend to have a negativity bias, many psychologists and coaches recommend reflecting on three things that went well for you each day, whether you write a gratitude journal or you simply list them mentally.

It could be something as simple as the delicious hot coffee you managed to make yourself, the bright blue sky on your morning walk or the fact the sun is shining.

The theory goes that soon you’ll shift your attention to actively look for things that are going well to use on your nightly list, so that you’ll cultivate an automatic positivity bias in your self-talk.

Of course things can’t always go your way, but practising gratitude for the things that go right means that when the supermarket is overcrowded or your child throws a tantrum, you’ll remember that it’s not the end of the world.

For more advice see: Five non-scale victories you need to be celebrating.

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Kimberly Gillan

Health writer

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Kimberly Gillan is a Melbourne-based writer who spends her days researching interesting and innovative ways to live our best lives. From nutrition hacks to sleep remedies to exercise advice, she analyses the latest research and calls on leading experts to share their wisdom to help Australians find balance and contentment in the modern world.

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