How do I get into positive thinking?

[Arkansota]

I have an anxiety disorder as well as cyclical OCD (it gets pretty bad) so to compensate for those things I feel like I need to start thinking more positively. How do I start? Is positive self-talk the first step?

I feel like if I can get the positive thinking down, that will really help me stay on track in college because it will keep me in a better mood. I love my school but sometimes I do withdraw socially and while I am an introvert (mostly, I have some extroverted traits), sometimes I don't get the amount of social activity that I need. If I could think positively, I could put myself in a better state of mind that would allow me to be more social while being true to my social style.

[Uneunsae]

You must start thinking about what you like rather that what you dislike. When you catch yourself having negative thought, ask yourself what you enjoy and what you are thankful for. If you aren't thankful for anything, then you need to do some self exploration.

Also, you need to look to the simple things in life to give you pleasure.

[Anonymous]

I'm about your age.

I hope you don't think I'm being mean about this but before you can start being positive you should probably stop letting your anxiety disorder and OCD define you.

I could sit around thinking about and then write you a list my learning disabilities, my mental problems, my physical disabilities and even a disease that prevents me from having a normal life and is probably going to make me die a slow miserable death before I'm 55... but you won't ever hear about all that from me.

I don't define myself by the hardships in my life. I define myself by the hardships I overcome and all the good things I do. This is the first time I've thought about 'my problems' in months.

Get like that and thinking positive is easy.

[Wolfpack]

You may not be able to think positively all the while. Start by practicing disputing your negative thoughts when you get them, are they accurate? are they doing you a disservice and holding you back? You may not end up with a positive thought but at least a more realistic and helpful thought.

Be kind to yourself and do not be to hard on yourself if you still struggle from time to time.

As for behaviour, hard as it may be push yourself to be more social, your anxiety may be trying to hold you back but you can get on top of it in time and with practice you should be able to become the person you want to be.

[Aike]

Well, the first thing you can do to think positively is not to try to think positively. Trying to police one's thoughts doesn't really work and usually has an opposite effect to that you wanted. I'm not really a big fan of self-help culture but I found quite bright.

[50Plus]

First step - awareness. When a negative thought enters the mind, have the presence to be aware of it and to recognize it.

You cannot attempt to deal with it until you know it exists.

Explore and embrace thy own self.

Positive self talk may help in the short term.

[MRossW]

Dale Carnegie wrote a book "The Power of Positive Thinking" decades ago. Worth checking into. But what helped me more was "The Fifth Agreement" as most of my anxiety was about how others perceived me or thought of me. Once I had a clear understanding of where everyone else was coming from, I really didn't care about what they said or thought, which cleared the way for me to accept myself and others in a positive light, warts and all.

[Corick]

If you need to start thinking positively then you need to build it up as a habit. I would start small and work your way up from there rather than taking a big first leap. Although that depends on how urgent this is.

For your first step I would find an appropriate environment to surround yourself in. A place that you like and looks nice to you. Then focus on something you do or something outside of what you do to think about. Something perhaps exciting? Something perhaps amazing or cool or whatever else that leads to a positive thought. For example I'm amazed that when you blow out a candle, you can light the smoke trial to light up the candle again. Be careful if you ever do this. Anyway, hearing this was one thing, to experience it first hand was quite another that lead to lots of positive thinking. The point is, put yourself and your mind in a place to make it easy for that first step.

Of course this also depends on what you define as positive thinking. Even so, the environment matters here. Will you think better in a place that looks nice or disgusting to you?

[ETOTE]

Start building a routine in your life and actively engage in positive daily habits like jogging, walking or doing a daily workout even if it's something simple and small like aerobics, cardio etc.

The endorphin rush will usher in a flood of positive perspectives that will change your disposition altogether to think positively by default.

[Adam]

You've had lots of great advice, and I only want to say one thing --- a sense of humor, a sense of the absurdity of life, works wonders.
If you can make yourself see the humor in the annoying, the irritating and the maddening, you're way into the territory of positivity!