According to recent polls, Americans are more anxious and stressed out than ever before. From inflation costs to post-pandemic stressors, war threats, and unrelenting pressure at home and work, people can’t help but feel uneasy and overwhelmed.
Luckily, there are things you can do to help ease the impact of stress on your daily life. For example, you can establish a routine that supports your mental and physical well-being.
Another is to do physical and mental activities that can help you become more positive and less apprehensive.
This article gathers some of the best exercises to help you relish a more positive lifestyle while successfully dealing with that feeling of restlessness that comes with living in times of uncertainty.
Physical Vs. Mental Exercises To Be More Positive
Through years of research, scientists have discovered that both physical and mental exercises impact how we see the world and our place in it. Our self-confidence increases, we have a more positive mindset, and we get sick less often.
Physical Exercises
Science tells us that physical exercise improves our overall health. We lose weight and get in shape, so our physical health gets a nice boost.
But that’s not all. When we work out regularly, we don’t just look good, we also start feeling good about ourselves as well.
Studies show that after just 15–20 minutes of exercise, your brain releases feel-good hormones. These chemicals flow through your system and begin to lower anxiety and depression. They also improve your self-esteem, lift your mood, and enhance cognitive functions.
The best exercises you can do to be more positive are aerobic exercises that get your heart pumping and the blood flowing through your veins.
Also, if you do these exercises outdoors in the fresh air, you’ll get double the benefits. One study shows that working out in nature improves self-esteem, reduces stress, and makes you feel more cheerful.
Mental Exercises
If you’re looking for ways to be more positive-minded, there are many mental exercises you can do like creating a vision board or starting a gratitude journal.
By practicing these exercises, also called mental health activities, you can do a bit of soul-searching and look inward to gain a better understanding of who you are. The better you know yourself, the easier you’ll find it to navigate through life’s ups and downs.
You know what your values and principles are, so whenever you’re at a crossroads and have to make a decision, you have a clear vision of what works best for you.
50 Positive-Thinking Exercises
- Practice positive affirmations
- Engage in physical activity
- Do some gardening
- Listen to your favorite music
- Read more
- Socialize in person
- Meditate
- Do yoga
- Learn a new language
- Dance
- Learn Tai Chi
- Get good quality sleep each night
- Play brain games like chess, Sudoku, puzzles, and crosswords
- Learn from the past
- Practice forgiveness
- Work on visualization
- Celebrate your victories
- Learn how to control negative self-talk
- Express gratitude
- Let go of the things that don’t make much difference in the long run
- Volunteer
- Do something thoughtful for someone you care about
- Create a daily self-care routine
- Focus on your breathing
- Do something creative
- Find your happy place
- Accept the things you can’t control
- Smile more
- Limit the amount of negativity you allow into your life
- Be kind to yourself
- Avoid catastrophizing
- Believe in yourself more
- Learn from your mistakes
- Do one thing each week that makes you feel uncomfortable
- Create realistic goals
- Read one positive quote each day
- Create a vision board
- Set clear boundaries when your workday ends and your personal time begins
- Learn a new skill
- Choose accountability over playing the victim
- See the good in your world
- Know that you’re worthy of good things
- Sit up straight
- Make it a point to learn something new every day
- Be constructive in your criticism of yourself and others
- Know your strengths and weaknesses
- Practice compassion
- Use the mirror technique
- Make peace with the past
- Turn off technology for 30 minutes each day