Have you ever identified with Sally Sunshine or maybe it's more like Debbie Downer? It can be really hard staying positive and motivated all the time. Life happens...Whether you’re finding more thumbs up or thumbs down interactions, here are 7 ways to stay positive and motivated.

We know our mood and our mindset impacts our physical and mental health AND our manifesting.

Bad mood, anxious mindset = more bad breaks, finding yourself always at the wrong place, life blows 👎.

Good mood, peace-filled mindset = lucky breaks, being at the right place at the right, life seeming magical 👍.

So let's look at 7 easy ways to stay positive and motivated for more 👍 interactions.

#1 – Creativity is Key

Creativity dates back to the stone ages! Seriously, we have cave drawings over 40,000 years old. So why does creativity seem so powerful to humans?

According to medical studies, creativity is awesome for our mental and physical health - it increases our mood, boosts our body’s immune system and decreases anxiety, chronic illness and even keeps our brain young!

"When we are involved in creativity, we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life.”-  Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi shared during his Ted Talk.

Ideas for creativity:

• Doodle
• Paint
  • A wall, a pot, furniture...
• Chalk
  • On the sidewalk, on construction paper...
• Daydream
  • Imagine a sunny day, a vacation to where you’d love to visit, celebrating your dream come true
• Color
  •  A coloring page, a color by number...
•  Play an instrument,
  • An air instrument like air guitar, air violin, air accordion or air harp!

And, as Maya Angelou says, “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use it, the more you have.”

If you could use a daily dose of creative inspiration to amp your positivity, join the #JoyTribe2020.

#2 – Be An Idea Generator

Allow your mind to flow. No editing. Just let thoughts and responses to do their thing. Give them free reign.

Think of a question and then rewrite various takes on it. For example, if your question is, “Why does my dog bark?” - the new questions could be, “What does my dog see?” or “How can I get my dog to stop barking at the leaf moving outside?” or “How can I tell the difference between my dog barking at a robber versus a squirrel?”

When you give your brain carte blanche with it’s creativity, your brain will come up with new inspiration and solutions.

#3 – Move It Baby

Our bodies are designed for this! We’re a movement machine. We dance, we walk, we skip, we jump. Movement helps us feel better. Feeling better helps us stay positive and motivated.

“Health gets better with movement,” says Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic. “Productivity gets better, and people enjoy their jobs — and lives — more.”

Movement Boosts Your Brain Too

To maintain feeling positive and motivated, moving your body boosts the feel-good hormones: dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine.

Getting your body moving will improve your self-esteem, minimize stress, and reduce anxiety and depression.

Get moving today!

• Do some stretches or yoga
• Follow along to exercise videos: line dancing, belly dancing, tai chi, yoga
• Go for a walk
• Toss a ball against a wall
• Bounce a basketball
• Juggle a hacky sack or tennis ball with your feet
• Hula Hoop

Movement will help you sleep better, feel better and have the energy to share your awesomeness.

#4 – Music Is a Hidden and Secret Weapon

Albert Einstein said, “I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” An accomplished violinist, Einstein admitted, if science hadn’t worked out, he would’ve gladly pursued being a musician.

Music is a Memory Reset

Music can help your memory, releases endorphins (marvelous, natural chemicals that lower stress and anxiety and boosts our energy and feeling of excitement).

In fact, an Australian study found stroke patients who listened to music had quicker verbal memory and focused attention recovery.

Music makes you happy

When you’re jamming out to tunes you love, dopamine is released. A neuroscientist, Valerie Salimpoor, found that your personal playlist creates emotions like joy, excitement and happiness.

Music is just spectacular. A natural soother of anxiety and lowering stress levels, so when you feel a smidgen negative or unmotivated put your earbuds in and enjoy your special tunes!

Music:

• Play music! Make a Kazoo out of a comb and wax paper. Play a recorder. Play a drum with a pot and wooden spoon.
• Listen to a friend’s playlist (Spotify is great for this - here's a fun playlist I made.)
• Listen to the music of nature, like thunder, rain, or ocean waves
• Tune into some classical tunes or airy sounds of Celtic or Native American Indians
• Create a new playlist

Enjoy your songs – and not just during the daytime.

Studies show that listening to music at bedtime will help you sleep better and longer which will definitely help remain positive and motivated.

#5 – Re-engage in Education

Learning anything new such as a skill, hobby or language stimulates your brain. The new neurons developed create some sexy new pathways that help you learn better and faster. The brilliance doesn’t stop there. You become more interesting. Your self-esteem snags a big boost. You handle changes better. Boredom becomes a thing of the past.

And, according to studies, continued learning will keep your positive and motivated mindset at the forefront and keep dementia at bay.

Ways to re-engage in education

• Explore a new hobby.
• Learn a new language.
• Play chess.
• Take an online class
• Explore new card games.
• Read new books.

Celebrate your accomplishments! You’ve put in the time and energy to learn something new and THAT will be a shining example for everyone!

#6 – Engage in Positive Interaction

“You are the average of the 5 people around you.” – Jim Rohn gets credit, but I’ve heard this quoted by many!

If there’s negative conversations, you have a choice. Risk being taken down with it or walk away.

If you’re hanging around negative folks, they’re expressing it in their words and actions. It’s natural to pick up on this and soon your positive and motivated attitude plummets. So limit any negative encounters and offset it with positive interactions! Remember – You are in control!

• Seek out inspiring conversations
• Look for people who bring out the best in you
• Watch inspirational Ted Talks
• Compliment 5 people a day
• Add positive comments on posts
• Ask people what are they most thankful for today
• Choose not to engage in negative shows, movies and media

“When you surround yourself with people who hold high standard to you, you are surrounded by people who strive to do better. Their energy is contagious and will positively influence you.” – Tim Sanders, former director of Yahoo!

#7 – Meditation

You may be thinking, Great. Here we go again. More on meditation.

The thing is…it bears repeating.

Meditation shrinks that part of your brain that controls fear and anxiety and increases the part that boosts happiness. Just what you want when focused on being positive and motivated.

Sure. Meditation has lots of other benefits.

Improved health

Improved sleep

Improved creativity

Improved sense of peace.

In fact, scientists found that after 4 days, cortisol levels decreased! Cortisol is that nasty hormone responsible for mood swings, anxiety, and stress.

Any Meditation Will Do

• Meditate by focused breathing
• Meditate by watching a candle flame
• Do a guided meditation
• Hum.
• Tune into nature.

My guided meditations are available here.

"We adapt completely to positive experiences, unless we actively and intentionally use strategies to impede adaptation," Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD.

Let’s do a quick review of the 7 Ways to Stay Positive and Motivated

#1 – Creativity is Key

#2 – Be An Idea Generator

#3 – Move It Baby

 #4 – Music Is a Hidden and Secret Weapon

#5 – Re-engage in Education

#6 – Engage in Positive Interaction

#7 - Meditation

If you'd like a spark of sunshine delivered straight to your inbox every day for FREE, join the #JoyTribe2020 for joyful, creative activities to help you stay positive and motivated.

No matter what life throws your way, you’re ready! Implementing these steps will help you stay positive and motived. Commit to one or all 7! Let me know which way has you most excited!