7 Ways To Add More Positivity To Your Life

I've always been a positive person. For as long as I can remember I've approached life with a glass half full attitude - I try to see the best in people, find the good in the crap situations and solve the problem, all with a smile on my face. But sometimes, as I've realised in the past year or so, it can be harder to paint on a grin and be happy. Whether it's the awful circumstances we're confronted with on the news every day or difficult situations closer to home, seeing life through a positive lense can be a challenge sometimes.

And yet we must keep trying, because positivity is infectious. Positivity breeds more positivity, which in turn breeds productivity and success and closer relationships and happiness. Which, let's face it, is what we all want out of life, isn't it?

So today I thought I'd share 7 ways to add more positivity to your life. Here goes...

1) Keep a list of all the things you're grateful for

This piece of advice is pretty commonplace thesedays, but I've put it at the top of my list as I credit gratitude as one of the things that has kept me strong during some pretty dark times this year. Writing down all of the things you're grateful for is a great way of focussing on what you already have in your life, rather than obsessing about what everyone else is up to or worrying about what you don't have. My weekly favourites posts are my favourite way to capture the stuff I'm feeling thankful for, but you could always just jot them down in a notebook instead. Remember that your list doesn't have to be exciting or glamorous, just a reminder of all the things that bring joy to your life.

2) Find your mood boosters

I read this tip in a book a couple of years ago, and it's something I find myself coming back to whenever I'm feeling particularly low. Basically you make a list of things that make you instantly smile when you think of them - maybe it's a funny memory with your friend or your niece's cute little giggle. Whenever you find yourself feeling blue, dig the list out and find the memory most likely to boost your mood. I find this trick is even more powerful if you have something physical that is attached to that memory - maybe it's a photo from a great holiday or a video of your doing something funny that you can have saved on your phone.

3) Wear an outfit that makes you feel good

Okay, so this one might seem a bit shallow on the face of it, but stick with me. When you wake up feeling a bit crappy it can be tempting to just throw on whatever clothes are clean, scrape your hair up in a bun and add a bit of mascara to make you look half awake. I know just how tempting this can be because for the past year I've been doing exactly that pretty much every single week day. However, I've recently rediscovered that if you get up and put on an outfit that makes you feel good, you'll instantly feel a little bit better. Sure, wearing nice clothes won't solve whatever it is that's making you sad, but it will make you feel like you've got a bit of armour on as you go out and take on the day. Bonus tip: if you really want the world to know that you're not to be messed with, add a slick of red lippy too.

4) Celebrate the little things

One of my favourite ways to add an extra dose of positivity to life is to celebrate all the little things as well as the big stuff. I'm a big believer that we shouldn't save all the fun for birthdays and Christmas, and Sam and I like to celebrate life as often as we can. We mark anniversaries with meals out and toast each other's career successes with glasses of fizz, but we also make sure we celebrate all of the stuff that isn't necessarily newsworthy too. It might be cooking our favourite dinner as a reward for making it through the week, or simply planning something fun for a Tuesday evening, just because we can.

5) Make a feel good playlist

I'm a big believer that music is one of the best mood boosters you can come across. We all have music that take us back to happy places in our life, whether it's songs that we danced to as kids or the tracks that remind us of happy holidays. A couple of years ago I made a gigantic playlist filled with songs that reminded me of good times, and whenever I'm feeling a bit crap I'll pop it on. I can't explain just how powerful this can be - some mornings I can get in the car feeling absolutely certain that I'm going to have a terrible day, and by the time I've pulled into the car park at work I'll feel like a brand new woman.

6) Do something nice for someone else

One of my favourite ways to add a bit of positivity to my life is to do something nice for someone else. Doing a good deed has that brilliant bonus of not just helping someone else, but making you feel good too - win win, no? Volunteering is always a great way to give something back and make yourself feel good too, but if you can't commit to the time then even small gestures will help. Send a little card to your friend to let her know you're thinking of her, buy some lunch for a homeless person or treat your colleague to a coffee - you'll make someone else's day, and putting those good vibes out into the universe means they'll end up coming back to find you.

7) Look back at how far you've come

Last but by no means least is making time to look back at how far you've already come. I think sometimes we are so focussed on our goals and resolutions that we can start to feel downbeat about the fact that we aren't already living our dream lives, especially when those achievements can feel very far away from our current reality. When I'm starting to feel negative and overwhelmed by my own dreams, I like to stop and look back at all the things I've already achieved. At times it felt like I would never graduate, like I would never be good at my job, like I would never own my house, and yet here I am taking all of those things for granted. Remembering that makes me realise that the goals on my list probably aren't as far away as my brain sometimes tricks me into believing.

Top - H&M | Skirt - Warehouse | Boots - Primark | Earrings - ASOS | Sunglasses - Celine

So there you have it, 7 ways to add more positivity in your life. Do you have any other tips to add to my list? Let me know if you try any of them out!

*Photos by Matt McCormick