Negative emotions aren’t always unhelpful. Sometimes, they aid survival. They can also be harmful, though, making people narrow-minded and stressed. It’s often difficult to talk to negative folks. Positivity can boost supportive communication and improve your relationships. Build a positive attitude, and you can improve your health and increase the odds of having a great day. Here are 10 ways to become a more positive person.

Use positivity prompts in your environment

You might succumb to unwanted behavior patterns on autopilot. One way to get around the possibility of tuning into unhelpful behaviors is to create a positive environment that supports optimism and joy.

Place reminders to stay positive in prominent places at home. Areas you often visit, like the fridge and bathroom, are prime targets for messages that support your goal to increase positivity.

Make your home and work environments conducive to positivity in other ways, too. Keep them clutter-free. Space encourages positive qualities like calmness and clarity. Further, increase your natural daylight exposure to enhance a sunny outlook.

Take part in positive activities

What you do can affect your mindset, so carry out positive activities. Consider hobbies you love and do them more often. If meditation makes you more positive, for instance, and you practice once a week, now meditate once a day. Or, if walking among nature boosts an optimistic attitude, schedule time to stroll in the countryside, or somewhere else natural and beautiful, each day.

Check how you respond to negative people

Do negative people’s temperaments rub off on you? Your emotions can spiral downward when you want people to be upbeat. You’re more likely to stay positive if you don’t aim to alter them and focus on maintaining a balanced mood instead.

Another way to respond positively to negative people, and keep your mood steady, is to examine how you perceive them. Are they being negative or just expressing an opinion clumsily? Are their intentions constructive? Some people are poor communicators, and they might seem negative when they mean well.

Even when a comment repels you, focus on yourself rather than the other person. Remember, they are responsible for their behavior, but you handle how you react. You can keep your cool and not let them spoil your day.

Be a positive role model

Project positivity. The goal to be a beneficial influence on others will help you. You’ll feel good because you’re helping them. You could start a positivity podcast or blog and show people what you do to be a positive person with a positive attitude. Smiling, giving hugs to friends, and helping them when they need a hand can increase your positivity and make others positive.

Consume positive data

Everything you consume, from foods to TV shows, affects your mood. Note how you feel after listening to music, watching movies, and engaging with other stimuli. Skip whatever ruins your positive mindset and engage with what boosts positivity.

Conversations also affect you. Do specific topics upset you? Sometimes, you can benefit from talking about concerns and expressing emotions, and listening to people’s problems may support them. But communicate constructively. Venting about dire circumstances could be destructive. Focus on solutions when you discuss challenges, and you will stay positive.

Identify positive moments to share

Team up with a friend who wants to be a positive person and connect with them daily. Having a positive buddy can encourage you to stick to your goal to stay optimistic and help them, too.

Share positive experiences every evening, and swap stories that support your aim. Your upbeat outlook will help you both remain enthusiastic. Likewise, share positive news with other people and spread happy vibes.

Ramp up gratitude

Keep a gratitude journal and boost thankfulness. It’s hard not to be positive when you write about feel-good topics, experiences, and ideas. Note events that make you happy and emphasize them with positive words. Writing them down will ramp up positivity and remind you about your blessings.

Handwrite thank-you letters after receiving gifts or when you are grateful for someone’s actions and mean it when you say thank you to people. You can also compliment friends to make them feel good and carry out random acts of kindness. Spread generosity and genuine praise. It will increase everyone’s positivity, including yours.

Seek positivity

Practice seeing the good in everything and everyone. If you don’t find it, it’s okay. Just shift your attention elsewhere and maintain momentum. You’ll train your brain to seek positive aspects of life and increase feel-good chemicals in your system.

You’ll face challenges sometimes. Rather than see them as valueless, examine them for helpful life lessons, and your mood won’t plunge. When you can’t jump for joy, aim to be stoic. Keep a philosophical outlook, and circumstances won’t get the better of you.

Your disposition will remain balanced or rise if you seek upliftment in your surroundings. Learn to interpret what you see in positive ways.

Stay present

People often feel negative because they think about the past or worry about the future. Focusing on the present will help you avoid fear and regret and achieve your goal.

If your mind wanders, note what you experience with your senses, and you’ll come back to the present. Regular sessions when you pay attention to the moment can expand your awareness, reduce stress, and turn you into a more positive person.

Live a healthy lifestyle

Your physical health affects your mental well-being, so lead a healthy lifestyle. Balance your body clock. Go to bed at a set time and get up at a similar time each morning. You need seven or eight hours of sleep a night. Eat a wholesome diet, too, full of natural, not processed foods, and exercise daily.

You can’t always be a positive person, but you can try to generate and maintain optimism. Tweak your lifestyle, thoughts, and behaviors and optimize them for positivity.