Positive Thinking Day is a time set aside each year to concentrate on all things positive. An American entrepreneur started this day in 2003 so that people could commemorate the many rewards that can be found in thinking positively.

As we are sure you have guessed from the name, Positive Thinking Day is all about encouraging positive thoughts! On this date, no negative thoughts are allowed! There are a lot of people in life who tend to view the negative in every situation, rather than the positive. This isn’t always bad, of course. It can mean that you are prepared for the worst and always pleasantly surprised. However, too much negativity can be bad for the soul. In fact, you can prolong your life with happiness and optimism. So, on this date, and other dates too, try to encourage yourself to think positively.

There are a number of different techniques and approaches that you can use to try and be more of a positive thinker. This includes catching your thoughts and reframing them. If you find yourself having a negative reaction to something, try to change your perspective. You need to be in that moment. Recognize that you are thinking about something from a negative standpoint. Take a few moments to think about the positives. You can even write them down. Remember, the positives don’t have to be huge, monumental wins. They can be small wins. A lot of small wins throughout the day can result in great positive thinking overall. Baby steps, as they say!

Another way to be more of a positive thinker is to be aware of your automatic reactions. What is your natural and go-to way of reacting? Are you someone that will think their entire day is ruined if you spill your coffee over yourself on the way to work? Are you the type of person that will laugh it off and try to look on the bright side? Perhaps you have been drinking too much coffee anyway? Maybe it gives you the perfect excuse to go out and buy that shirt you have been wanting for quite some time now? If you fall into the negative category, don’t be harsh on yourself. Instead, be aware of this, and think about how you can start changing this behavior so that you can be more positive on a day-to-day basis. It is also important to try and let go of your fear. Fear is what creates negativity. Think about it: at the bottom of your negative thoughts, you will probably find fear. Let’s go back to the coffee example. What’s brought on those negative thoughts? Well, it may be the fear that everyone is going to look at you because you have coffee on your shirt, right? It may be the fear that you have wasted money on a coffee and it has gone to waste?

We all have different fears, and so you need to focus on letting go of these fears. One way to do this is to close your eyes. Think about where the fear is coming from, and then visualize all of the stress fading away. This does not work for everyone, so spend some time researching different techniques and trying them out until you find something that works for you. From meditation to visualization; there are lots of different options.