Bringing Positivity into 2025

Now that we have moved into a New Year, I think it is time to share my tips on bringing a positive mindset into 2025. Positivity for me is about focusing on the good that is in your life, feeling optimistic, while also bringing your focus to the present moment, to avoid the worrying of future or past events. It is about being kind to yourself and supporting yourself without judgment. I am not saying that everyday will look like this when you are in a positive mindset, which is normal! The goal is to try to shift your mindset to positive thinking as much as possible, to train your mind to eventually do it naturally.

Creating a Positive Mindset

If you are trying to change your mindset from Negative to Positive, it takes practice, patience, and can sometimes be frustrating! It is important to show up for yourself as much as possible to work on this, even when you don't feel like it. Try to look at showing up for yourself daily as a form of self-care. Some things to help you achieve this mindset are discussed below.

• Practicing Gratitude: Practicing Gratitude daily is a great way to train your brain to appreciate your current situation and what you have in your life, as opposed to a mindset of feeling like you are lacking things in your life. I would recommend doing this when you wake up in the morning. You can do it alongside something simple like brushing your teeth, so you can develop the habit alongside something you already do daily.

• Set Realistic Goals: Setting goals, whether this is related to improving your wellbeing, work related goals, or anything else in your life, make sure they are realistic and set these both short term, and long term. Don't underestimate the feeling of accomplishment and the effect this has on your mental health! It could be as simple as setting a goal to make your bed everyday.

• Self-care: Self-Care is a very important and under-appreciated aspect of developing a Positive Mindset. Finding activities that bring you joy and contentment is a great form of self-care. The stereotypical view of Self-care is sitting in a romantic setting of a bath, with a face mask, lots of candles, and peaceful spa music. Of course this is a dream however, it does not have to be this much effort to practice self-care. Find something that you enjoy, that brings you to the present moment - Find your own Meditation. This could be people watching, cooking, walking, knitting, and the list goes on. The best gift you can give yourself is to stop the busyness of the mind by bringing your full attention to the present moment. The more you live in the present moment and are not worrying about the worries of the future or regrets of the past, the happier you will find yourself.

• Positive Self-Talk: Lastly, this is one of the most important aspects of training your brain to a positive mindset. You may notice that voice in your head that is critical of what you do, or tells you that you 'could have done better', or that you 'shouldn't have said that'. This voice is not you, this is your ego talking, and it feeds on negativity. Try to separate yourself from this voice, and recognize that it is not you, and it is just that negative voice. When you catch this voice speaking negatively, observe the thought, and do this without judgment. If you find yourself judging the thought, this is the ego creeping back in. Stay in the present moment, and just observe the negative voice, and move on from the thought. By putting this into practice, you will be bringing yourself to the present moment, while also recognizing that the voice is not you, and it is not true so you don't have to listen to it. If you catch yourself speaking negatively, you can also replace this with a kinder response, just how you would comfort family or friends. For example, if you find yourself saying 'I should have done better in that job interview, why didn't I work harder for it, or prepare more', Instead say 'I did my best, and it was great experience, and if I do not get the job, it was not meant to be mine'. This takes practice, but is worth it in the end. Before my self-developmental journey, I never realized how negative I was to myself until my therapist pointed it out, and it was a life-changing moment for me, as I had never considered being kind to myself in my head before then. Now I go back to that moment as a great start to my transformation.

Actionable Steps for a Positive 2025

Along with what has been discussed above, here are some things that can also help:

• Journaling: Regularly writing down your thoughts and feelings is a great way to offload what is going on up there and to help with feelings of overwhelm. Be curious about your thoughts without judgement. Explore your stressful moments, explore how you speak to yourself, explore what brings you joy and contentment, and anything else that naturally comes up for you.

• Social Connections: Identifying and using your Social Support System is so important. Don't underestimate the act of just speaking to someone about what is going on in your head, and you never know, you could help them!

Inspirational Resources

One book that I found amazing in bringing attention to the present moment, and that helped me to stop dwelling on negative and pointless things is 'The Power of Now', by Eckhart Tolle. I would definitely recommend giving this a read if you are trying to bring your attention to the present moment as much as possible.

I hope you found this helpful! If you have any questions or thoughts on developing your Positive mindset, feel free to get in touch!

Also if you are interested in booking a counselling session or want to discuss what I can do to help you on your well-being journey, feel free to get in touch!

Thanks for reading, Ciara X