Are you a Negative or a Positive Thinker?

Welcome to article 3 in our ‘Mindset’ series, where we discuss the reasons for having negative mindsets, and challenge ourselves to be more positive. Last month, we discovered a negative mindset (the habit of having a negative take on almost everything) is often laid down in the early years. Later in life, it can be reinforced if we choose a partner who has a similar way of viewing the world, or if we socialise mainly with others who support our mindset. As we’ve learned, a negative mindset can prevent us from enjoying life to the full – which is why it’s reassuring to know there are ways we can change. But before we get onto that, let’s take a moment to construct the following checklist, because as you do, it may help you decide if you feel change is worth pursuing:

Checklist

1. On every given occasion, we engage with a wide range of experiences. Think about your last visit to the supermarket, and write down 5 experiences which stand out for you. They could be connected with an interaction with the checkout operator, the quality of the broccoli, or the coffee you bought.

2. Towards evening, many of us often look back and consider how the day has gone. Think about your day so far, and write down 5 moments you remember well. They may relate to domestic tasks such as feeding the cat, or making the bed. Or they may concern your exercise routine, or even your hair.

3. Think about the interactions you have had with friends and family over the last week. Write down 5 exchanges that come to mind, and how they left you feeling – they can be brief exchanges (such as a text chat exchange on social media) or more lengthy (such as face to face conversation with a neighbour).

4. Write down 5 tasks currently on your ‘to-do’ list.

5. Bring to mind 5 recent activities you remember from the last week. They might concern a domestic task (such as baking or home maintenance), or caring (such as walking the dog or minding a grandchild).

Now, take a highlighter (or a different coloured pen) and use it to circle each experience, moment, interaction, task, or activity you consider to have been positive rather than negative. For example, if the supermarket broccoli was really limp, did you see it only as that, or did you also notice it was inexpensive? Or did you consider it was something you could ‘bring to life’ with a suitable recipe?

If you notice you have circled significantly more negatives than positives in your checklist, it may indicate you have a negative mindset (or tend towards the negative). You may, for example, be someone who focuses on the less pleasant aspects of an experience rather than the positives that will almost certainly have been there, too. Or your ‘to-do’ list may include only negatives (such as ‘clean the kitchen windows’) rather than things to look forward to (such as: ‘meet friends for a drink on Thursday after work.’)

On the other hand, if you have a preponderance of negatives in your list, it may be simply to do with a current (rather than a habituated) mindset – after all, we all have good days and bad days – or even weeks! However, keeping a checklist, such as the one you have just created, on a weekly or daily basis, can go some way in helping you identify what sort of mindset you think you may have. If you are a negative thinker, don’t be surprised if the simple act of keeping a checklist is the start of becoming more positive!

Next month, we’ll take a look at some well-recognised practices to help train your brain to see the world in a more positive light. In the meantime – keep the checklist going!