Everyone knows that feeling: the late-night energy drinks, the impulsivity and irritability, the feeling of being always a little bit on edge. Well, it turns out that there might be a reason for all of this. It doesn't just happen!
You might be living with low levels of positive energy by thinking about what you don't have, focusing on negative aspects of your life (or those around you), or not expressing gratitude for what's coming to you. Making the shift to a more positive state of mind can help you to achieve greater success in many areas of your life.
Positive energy can lead to:
Increased confidence and self-esteem; A greater capacity for passion and enthusiasm; Greater creativity; A sense of wellbeing and well-being; A better ability to handle change; Better relationships with others.
Negative energy can be more motivating but also more difficult to manage ("all work and no play"), while positive energy is often more creative, full of enthusiasm, and energizing. Both are important—but in different ways. Let's look at the characteristics of each from a psychological perspective so that you may better understand how they affect us in our daily lives.
Positive energy produces effects that encourage greater balance and well-being, while negative energy leads to feelings of resentment, frustration and anger. We've all had those times when we felt more than a little irritable, stressed out and ready to snap. Those of us who have experienced the stresses of life on a regular basis know that there are times when it seems that everything is getting to us.
But why do some people seem more prone to negative energy than others? What leads us to get stuck at times in a negative emotional state?
People who live with a high level of stress and anxiety experience difficulty coping with positive things as well as negative ones. It's like they can't turn off their gear for negative emotions.
Stress seems to be a common factor. People who have experienced trauma or have experienced severe or chronic stress in their lives also tend to live with high levels of anxiety, depression, frustration and anger. Can you see where I'm going with this?
We're often caught between a rock and a hard place. We feel trapped by the unending feelings of dread and anger that seem to so often overwhelm us. But if we let the negative energy dominate our psyche, we'll find ourselves depressed and angry much more often than we should.
Perhaps you've noticed yourself living with a high level of negative energy at times without even knowing it—this is an area that deserves attention and understanding. Positive energy allows you to maintain an optimistic, balanced mindset that makes a world of difference in all aspects of daily living.
The good news is that positive energy can be created and maintained with a series of simple exercises that help you to cultivate optimism, self-esteem and mental health. You can make a shift toward greater positive energy by preparing yourself in the right way before you do anything else in your day.
Positive energy: Benefits
The benefits of positive energy include better overall focus and concentration, greater confidence and more determination. A more positive state of mind will give you the opportunity to express gratitude for what's coming your way—and this helps to foster altruism and goodwill as well as love for others around you.
Living in a more positive mindset leads to greater self-esteem and confidence, as well as a greater sense of calm. While people with a high level of negative energy tend to have problems with procrastination, people living with positive energy are able to get things done in the way that feels best for them.
In the same way that negative energy can lead us to neglect our friends and family, the lack of positive energy can cause us to isolate when we might otherwise enjoy each other's company. Living with positive energy gives us access to more social networks and increases our ability to interact with friends, family members, co-workers and others—while helping us maintain healthy boundaries. We're more able to maintain a positive attitude without feeling like others are "burdensome."
Positive energy helps us to make better choices in everything we do. People living with negative energy will often take the easy way out and make poor choices that can lead to some very undesirable outcomes.
Understand that making the shift toward positive energy is not something you have to do for anyone else, but for yourself. If you want to make it happen, the first thing you'll need is motivation and the willingness to change your habits and how you think about things.
The benefits of positive energy are clear, but understanding where it comes from in the first place may go further toward helping you achieve more of what you want from life.
Positive energy: Sources
The sources of positive energy are grounded in a healthy attitude and outlook on life. The first thing to consider is the fact that positive energy comes from a more centered place where you are less affected by outside forces. This is the place you go to when you are relaxed and focused on something at the same time.
Positive energy can be achieved when we're involved in activities that allow us to lose ourselves in the moment while still engaging our senses. It's like being an observer or participant in life as it happens—there is no past or future, just the grounded present moment where everything feels right.
The benefits of positive energy include a feeling of empowerment, freedom and belonging. Feeling comfortable in a space where you know you belong leads to greater happiness and satisfaction in the things you do, whether it's relaxing at home or doing something else entirely.
Positive energy can be achieved by getting out of your own way so that you don't sabotage your efforts to make changes for the better. How many times have you set out to make some improvements only to find yourself making excuses or running into roadblocks? This can happen because we overestimate what we can do in a day or underestimate how long it will take us to do even the smallest things.
Positive energy is often referred to as being full of light or coming from a place that feels like sunshine. Gratitude, generosity and goodwill are all positive energy emotions that help us to stay positive and maintain motivation in any activity we undertake.
Positive energy can be felt when we feel centered in the here and now, but it's also something that can be cultivated. It's out there for the taking if you have the right tools.
Positive energy: Activities
Activities designed to promote positive energy include yoga, meditation and breathing exercises. You may find that certain types of music promote a state of positive energy, while others do not. It's important to engage in activities that feel good to you—this makes a difference in how well you are able to tap into positive energy.
The benefits of positive energy can be found through activities that promote giving, such as volunteering and giving back to the community. This doesn't have to be something big or an ongoing commitment—it can be as simple as helping someone who needs it, letting your child borrow the car, calling on a friend when they need help or lending a hand at a nearby food bank.
Choose your activities wisely and focus on finding ways to give back to yourself and others. Positive energy is promoted by being present in what you do with no expectations beyond the moment at hand. If you're always mindful of being grateful for what you have, you will naturally adopt a more positive attitude toward life.
Positive energy is the way we want to experience life because there is so much good to feel and share. The right mindset can help you live a happy and healthy life.
Positive energy: Choosing wisely
Choosing the right things to do each day is essential to living with positive energy. Some activities promote positive feelings while others lead us in other directions:
Choose activities that allow you to be of service, or that benefit others in some way. This kind of engagement boosts self-esteem and facilitates a sense of belonging.
Choose activities that allow you to focus on one thing at a time and that don't require too much concentration.
Avoid activities that take too long, especially those where results are not immediately evident. You may find that some of the things you do on a daily basis will sap your energy, leaving you feeling tired and run-down.
Use music with lyrics that have positive overtones, such as love songs or hymns. Try not to listen to jazz or rap; these tend to promote negative energy more than positive.
Prepare for any activity by preparing your mind for what is coming up ahead. This way you can embrace the experience before it happens instead of just recognizing it when it does.
Positive energy: Affirmations
Affirmations are positive statements that we make to ourselves, which can help us move toward our goals and cultivate positive energy. Positive affirmations can be a helpful tool for cultivating a sense of appreciation for all of the good things we have in our lives.
After you are comfortable with positive affirmations, how about positive questions? These require thoughtful responses, which will help keep your mind active and focused. Here are some examples:
What am I grateful for today?
What can I learn from this experience to apply to the next one?
How do I feel right now?
Where do I want to be in my life a year from now? Five years from now? Ten years from now?
Positive energy: Building on success
Positive energy is something we can cultivate over time. Once we start feeling it and tapping into our abundance of good things, it will be easier to bring more of those things into our lives by making an effort each day. Here are some ways to build on the good feelings you have from positive energy:
Make it a habit to start good things that you've been putting off, with the intention of taking them further.
When the day's activities include things that don't feel quite right for you, be conscious of that and work on finding ways to feel better about yourself.
Choose everyday activities that bring you closer to your goals and make your life more meaningful. You may need to do more than one thing at a time in order for these activities to align with life goals, so be present for what is going on with each new step along the path.
When you are doing something positive, notice how you feel. Be conscious of the things that you are doing and try to make them more intentional.
