Staying positive isn’t always easy, especially in challenging or stressful situations. But the great thing about positivity is that it’s 100% in your own control. While you obviously cannot control everything that happens in your life, you can absolutely control how you react to each and every situation. 

Today just so happens to be National Positive Thinking Day and because I’m always talking about the power of positivity, I’ve partnered with Keurig and The Original Donut Shop Coffee to share just how I keep a positive mindset each day. 

This is so important. The way you start your morning has a huge impact on your day. I’m sure this isn’t news to anyone. But, when you’re able to have a positive morning, it’s so much easier to maintain a positive outlook throughout the day. Just like working out. If you work out in the morning, you’re more likely to make healthy choices the rest of the day.  

I always start my morning by drinking a big glass of ice water. It rehydrates you after a long night of sleeping, flushes out toxins and gives you a burst of energy. Energy? From water? Yes, drinking a glass of water first thing it the morning jumpstarts your metabolism and gets everything working so you feel more awake. Next, in between making the kids breakfast, I make my morning cup of coffee. This is always the highlight of my morning. I’ve always loved The Original Donut Shop coffee because of how cute it looks on my counter (who could resist those cute little sprinkle donuts), but it also tastes really good too! Even with the kids singing, yelling and making funny noises across the breakfast table, drinking my morning cup of coffee is always so calming. It’s my teeny tiny bit of me time in the middle of the chaos and I enjoy every sip. 

After breakfast and coffee, I try to make sure the kids have some free time to play and really wake up before we take Brady to school. I don’t like rushing the kids around because I feel like it’s unnecessary stress that can be avoided with preparation. During this playtime is when I’ll make our beds and pick up and few things around the house so I feel mentally prepared for the day. When I had an office job, I always loved making my bed before heading out the door. It made me feel like I had accomplished something already which always set the tone for a productive day ahead. 

Moral of the story here is to find a routine that fits your schedule and gives you time to enjoy your morning, even if it’s only a few minutes. Finding that time to center yourself and find a piece of joy can make all the difference. 

When you spend your time present in the moment, it becomes so much easier to access positive emotions and stay practical about what you can actually do about something in your life. When you get lost in the past or future like so many us do, worries very easily become bigger. And failures and mistakes from the past being replayed over and over in your mind only drag you down into pessimism. And when you’re busy thinking about everything that could go wrong, or a mounting to-do list, you’re missing simple right in front of you. 

By moving slowly through your morning and the rest of your day, it becomes easier to mindfully stay in the moment you are in. Compartmentalize things you need to do. Make a list. Write them down and get them out of your head. Another simple way to reconnect with the moment is to simply stop what you’re doing and focus on what is going on around you for a minute or two with all of your senses. See it. Hear it. Smell it. Feel it. It might sound like a small and insignificant thing to do, but this simplifying reconnection with the moment can have a very positive effect on the rest of your day. 

This practice has single-handedly changed the way my brain works. It sounds so simple but it has had a massive impact on my day-to-day mindset. It’s so easy, SO EASY, in the world we’re living in to compare yourself or to focus on the negatives. Once you can identify the moment these negative thoughts creep into your head, you can shut them down immediately. You have the power to do that. 

When this happens to me, I literally stop what I’m doing and identify something positive in my life. Perhaps it’s simply how much I’ve grown in the last year or how damn lucky I am to have three kind and compassionate children. I completely shift the narrative and toss out the negativity without giving it the time of day. It’s really so easy to do. It’s all mindset. Try to do this for the rest of the week and see how much it can improve your overall mood, even if you have to look a little harder for a positive some days. Change “ugh, I hate this job” to “thank goodness I have a steady income” or “oh my goodness, this house is always a complete mess!” to “I am so blessed to have children to pick up after.”

Continuing this practice will change your entire world. I promise. I started doing this earlier this year and it’s stuck with me. It honestly makes you so much happier because you don’t get stuck in a place of negativity. You’re so much more fun to be around. And gratitude makes you glow.