8 Easy Positive Thinking Exercises To Change Your Life For Good
You know that feeling when negative thoughts take over, making it harder to see solutions or feel hopeful?
Shifting your thinking patterns doesn’t require a complete personality overhaul. Small, consistent changes create real momentum toward a lighter, more grounded way of thinking.
As the author of The Thought Store: 8 Simple Thinking Habits for Work and Life and a soul coach, I help people understand that changing your thoughts isn’t about forcing positivity. It’s about creating mental space for your soul to guide you toward what serves your growth.
You’re looking for practical ways to think more positively without it feeling fake or forced.
Here are 8 positive thinking exercises to help you shift away from negative habits and embrace your own power.
8 Simple Positive Thinking Exercises
Here are the 8 Simple Thinking Habits from The Thought Store.
- Notice your thoughts
- What you’re thinking about, is it true?
- Choose good thoughts during the day.
- Feel your emotions.
- Take time to NOT think.
- Pause when offended.
- Ask for help when needed.
- Think with gratitude.
For a complete guide to Positive Energy including science and meaning of good vibes, attracting positive energy, send healing vibes, positive thinking, optimism, affirmations, read: Positive Energy: A Complete Guide to Creating Good Vibes
Positive thinking exercises and the brain
Your brain doesn’t stay fixed.
“Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to change and adapt throughout life by modifying its structure, functions, or neural pathways,” writes Harvard Health.
But, can affirmations actually change the brain?
Yes they can.
According to Harvard Graduate School of Education…
“Repeating the same thoughts, feelings, and behaviors increases synaptic connectivity, strengthens neural networks, and creates new neurons through learning.”
However, it’s important to keep in mind the issue of negative bias, which offers one explanation of why it’s challenging to change negative thinking.
The same article goes on to say…
“… our brains are hard-wired to focus on the negative. The human brain evolved with a “negativity bias,” says mindfulness expert Metta McGarvey, which gives negative events and thoughts a proportionally greater impact on our memory and psychological state than positive ones.”
Hmmm… why am I not surprised?
Negative thinking takes time and commitment to change; but, what’s more important than changing our view of the world and ourselves?!
Spaced repetition
The key to learning anything new is spaced repetition.
The National Library of Medicine (ncbi) states, “The spacing effect is the observation that repetitions spaced in time tend to produce stronger memories than repetitions massed closer together in time.”
But, it takes time, so don’t be discouraged if old thinking stays with you. No one changes overnight and daily exercises for positive thinking will help you create more positivity in your life.
So, let’s jump into thinking habits to help you rewire your brain for the better.
1. Notice your thoughts
EXERCISE: For 5 minutes a day, notice what you’re thinking about. That’s it, just notice!
Your thoughts affect every area of your life. So, what you think about demands attention.
Be aware of your self-talk as well.
The simple act of paying attention to your thoughts is extremely powerful for helping you create what you desire.
When you notice your thoughts, you’re more aware of what is driving your life. And be aware of binary thinking, which we mostly do because we live in a world of duality.
This keeps us stuck in thinking that everything is either good or bad, right or wrong, positive or negative etc.
Life isn’t black and white. There’s lots of gray.
When you realize you’re overthinking your conversations and situations, you’ll be more likely to catch yourself.
Notice how your thoughts feel
When you think of something good, notice that you feel light, warm, energetic and peaceful.
When you think: I am beautiful, or I am intelligent, it lifts your energy, so I’ve coined the term high-vibe thoughts to describe thoughts that have good vibes.
High quality thoughts feel way different in the body than low quality thoughts or low-vibes as I call them in The Thought Store.
High quality thinking helps you see the miracles in life. And, it helps as you search your soul for answers when you’re lost or confused.
With low quality thoughts, you feel heavy and weighed down. Thoughts like: I’m not that smart, or I always mess up, make you feel so tired that you want to drop to the ground and sleep!
Also, notice how your thoughts affect others
Doing exercises for positive thinking will teach you that your thoughts influence your emotions. Just notice what results you’re producing with your thoughts. And all of this noticing doesn’t have to be a burden.
Instead, your soul is happy when you feed yourself high-vibe thoughts and practice positive thinking skills.
The more you pay attention to your thoughts, the easier it gets. Paying attention moves you one step closer to having your thoughts work for you, not against you.
A negative mindset is contagious
In an NPR article titled: Gloomy Thinking Can Be Contagious, they state that in regard to college freshman roommates, “Within just three months, the roommates with different styles began to ‘infect’ one another.”
“If you came to college and your roommate had a very negative thinking style, your own thinking style became more negative.”
I picture negative thinking, my own included, like a huge dust cloud above my head, much like Pig Pen in Charlie Brown.
2. Ask yourself if what you’re thinking about is true
EXERCISE: When you notice yourself starting to worry, ask yourself: What am I thinking about? And then.. Is it true?
This exercise will stop you from going in a negative spiral. When we believe the worst will happen, it sets off a domino effect of negativity.
For example, when you assume, you make huge leaps in your thoughts: My friend didn’t call me back, so I’m not important enough. My coworker didn’t smile at me, so she must be angry at me. I have a bump on my leg, I’m dying. My son is late, maybe he had an accident.
When you worry, you think the worst will happen.
We tend to spiral down in our thoughts and it all starts to innocently. Exercises for positive thinking, when done regularly, prevent the downward spiral.
3. Choose good thoughts throughout the day
EXERCISE: At the start of each day, choose 3 thoughts you’ll repeat during the day that will lift your energy. ie: I am grateful. I feel loved. I am loved. I am that I am.
Because thoughts have energy, your thoughts either lift you up or weigh you down; make you weak or make you strong.
Including thoughts ABOUT emotions.
Emotions are messengers.
They tell us what’s going on with us. Which is helpful!
How you think about emotions is what’s critical here.
Negative thoughts are the culprit, not emotions.
As we feel and heal, we’re evolving the soul. It’s a critical part of our purpose to feel our way through life.
Feeling our way through life is also a large part of the manifestation process. So, we need thinking that tells us…
It’s ok to feel this way. I won’t make it worse with negative thinking. I’m ok. I am bringing in my highest good and greatest healing.
4. Feel your emotions without dwelling on them
EXERCISE: Next time you feel upset, name the emotion. Say it aloud. ie: I feel angry. Just feel it without analyzing it.
Painful feelings don’t magically disappear, they want to be felt. So, positive thinking exercises must help you feel what’s real for you, while keeping positive thoughts nearby.
This is positive thinking at its best: Thinking that reinforces your strength and power as a creative being.
However, beware of phrases like: Stay positive or stay optimistic. Because while well-intentioned, this kind of advice often makes us feel worse like we’re failing and we’re “wrong” for feeling the way we do.
Therefore, when you’re angry, don’t stuff it down. When you feel sad, let yourself be sad.
So, please take away this main point on positive thinking and feelings: You can’t avoid your feelings for two big reasons…
One, it doesn’t work. And two, the only way to heal your heart is to feel.
Nature designs us to heal. So, allow yourself to feel whatever emotion arises.
Then, at some point, when you’re ready, you’ll be able to let it go.
Since your thoughts have an energetic quality to them, positive words and thoughts have the power to physically help you in difficult times. So, don’t use thoughts to avoid feelings. Instead, use the power of thought to strengthen and guide you.
You are here to heal your heart, and exercises for positive thinking will help you do so, as long as you feel everything that comes up for you.
5. Take a break from thinking
EXERCISE: Once a day, for 2 minutes, STOP what you’re doing and focus on your breath.
Since we have over 60,000 thoughts a day on average, so the mind needs a rest each day.
One way to rest the mind is meditation.
Because when the mind gets overworked, it’s stressful! .
When you allow your mind to not think, you allow inspiration, ideas, and guidance to come in. As you rest your mind, you gain more clarity and connect with yourself.
So, to practice focusing on the breath… when a thought arises, and they do constantly, notice the thought and come back to the present by focusing on your breath.
And warning, you might be discouraged by your wandering mind. This is normal and to be expected. Instead, just notice your thoughts come and go while focusing on the breath.
6. Pause when you’re offended
EXERCISE: Next time you feel offended by something that was said to you, PAUSE and tell yourself how you feel. ie: I feel hurt. I feel angry.
Life offers many, many opportunities to be offended.
It is easy to be hurt because people don’t always act the way we’d like them to. Sometimes, you feel like a target and people are throwing darts in your direction.
However, you don’t have to spend your precious life being hurt by the words and actions of others.
Sometimes it is intended, more often it is not.
Either way, you can choose how to think about it. Therefore, when something happens that could possibly offend you, take a deep breath and adjust your thoughts so that you won’t be offended.
This small pause gives you a moment to acknowledge your feelings and make a deliberate choice of what to think.
Truly, you don’t have any idea what is in the minds of others. So, maybe they’re nicer than you think?
No, I know how you’re feeling, but here’s hoping.
7. Ask for help when you need it
EXERCISE: Find something that you’re doing that you feel lost and confused about. Now write down the people, books, programs, groups, etc. that might be able to help you.
When you’ve tried everything, and given all you have, and life still isn’t working, ask for help.
At times like these you can think: I don’t have all the answers. I cannot do this by myself. First, I exhaust all of my options, then, I use all of my resources.
After you’ve done all you can do, if you’ve not succeeded, ask for help.
Try thinking: Who or what can help me?
Think of all the resources available to you. Make a list. Think of where you can look.
Asking for help involves letting go. In these moments we are letting go of being in control.
It’s tough to let go of control, I know it has been for me! However, one gift of doing exercises for positive thinking is that you are able to let go.
You have great potential and the ability to go to the limits of your imagination.
However, making a conscious decision to ask for help and guidance along the way will make your load easier to bear.
8. Think of what you’re grateful for at the start of each day
EXERCISE: Each morning, before you get out of bed, think of everything you’re grateful for. List them out and feel it in your heart as you’re thinking of it.
This simple exercise will remind you that while life is challenging, you can always find something or someone to be grateful for.
As you feel grateful, it takes you out of fear and worry.
On some days the list is longer than others. But, you always have a list of things that have gone well.
The more your gratitude becomes an attitude of gratitude, the longer becomes your list.
This is not an exercise you do out of guilt. Nope! Because, as you’re grateful, you’re not afraid. When you’re grateful, you’re not mad. Finally, when you’re grateful, you’re letting the universe know that you’re paying attention to all that you have.
Gratitude makes you feel good. And when you feel good, you have more to give.
Think and Grow Rich
In his inspiring book, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, published in 1937, he writes: “You have absolute control over just one thing, your thoughts.”
Do you see the date Napoleon Hill first published this world famous book?
During the depression!
Yes, he had some perspective. Think and Grow Rich has sold more than 70 million copies to help us be less negative in our thinking, send positive thoughts to others, and use the power of thought to create the lives we deeply desire.
Here are 8 positive thinking books I curated to help you think high-vibe and be happy!
A well-placed positive affirmation can diffuse negativity faster than you can say: Why me?
This article is meant for YOU to learn how to think positively, so you will be happier and less afraid, so you’ll face new challenges, so you’ll focus on what brings you joy; and finally, so you’ll see what’s working in your life.
Final thoughts
I’ve personally used affirmations every day for as long as I can remember. I lean on the power of thought and emotions to guide me.
There are many benefits of positive thinking.
And scientific basis to back up that good vibes are real. Positive thoughts create good vibes.
Positive thinking exercises help you bring positive change into your life with short and simple exercises that honor your feelings.
This delicate balance is very powerful.
Because there’s a lot of negativity floating around, whether it be in family members, friends, social media, TV, the air we breathe… it’s out there! So, bring in positive energy wherever you can.
And we need exercises for positive thinking because negativity seems to be the focus for so many.
However, the best way to change any habit is to practice. And positive self talk exercises to help you practice.
If you’d like additional help and positive affirmations to help you perform these exercises.
Here’s to good thinking!
