Learning to see the sunny side

Changing a gloomy outlook to an optimistic one will happen if the will is there.

thoughts form neural ‘‘tracks’’ in our brain. These tracks have been likened to well-worn pathways in a forest, that we will always follow.

If you consistently think a certain way, this will become the well-worn path that your thoughts follow.

To adjust your thinking to be more positive, you need to practise being positive so that new tracks are formed. Think about good things, spend time in the company of people you enjoy, focus on solutions and gradually optimism will become natural to you.

You can do this for just 60 seconds, every 90 minutes a day – if necessary, set a phone alert.

Prioritise wellness

Seek a healthy body and mind. When our body is well, our biological systems function at their best. When we are stressed, we snap into fight or flight mode, compromising our biological systems.

Then we are less able to manage our emotions, unable to recall important information quickly, and struggle to evaluate situations and make decisions.

Reduce your digital browsing

We book end our days with technology. As the alarm goes off, we reach for our phone and browse. Before we go to sleep, we often browse social media in bed. In between, we reach for our devices in any downtime we may have – at the traffic lights, waiting for a meeting to begin, on the couch after dinner.

Scientists explain the effect on our brain from this digital connectedness – ’’grabbing our attention only to scramble it’’. Our focus becomes jumbled, our attention span reduces and it’s more difficult to problem solve. If an article we want to read takes too long to load, or if it becomes too long to read, we flick to the next item in frustration – our brain is reacting to the effect of being constantly connected.

Manage time online to become more positive.