In the 8 Steps to Becoming You Program, we share practices for making long term goals and creating positive changes in your life. This post will focus on the best positive thinking techniques to get you through your every day routine with less stress and anxiety.

Below are the two best positive thinking techniques to take with you into the world each day. Use these techniques keep yourself feeling upbeat. Changing how you feel day to day will help you to build toward that long term change you wish to achieve in your personal life, love life or career.

1. Start with Listening

Becoming a better listener can stop those cycles of self-doubt and inwardly focused negativity. Listening well also creates stronger connections between yourself, your loved ones and the world around you. To start, listen more to yourself. Stop and notice the running dialogue in your mind. Try to extract meaning from these thoughts. If you are worried about something, then turn that worry into a benefit by making a new small goal for yourself.  If you have a doubt or fear that you cannot turn into a goal, then visualize letting go of that thought until it drifts into the distance.

When your children, spouse or friends are communicating with you, practice active listening. Give them your entire attention. Completely absorb and process their words before offering any words in response.

Appreciate the sounds you hear every day that you often feel too busy to notice. The chatter of birds in the morning, a train in the distance, or the hum and subtle creaks and noises of your home.

2. Forget About Multi-tasking

Do you often feel rushed or pulled in a million different directions at once? Forget about multi-tasking and instead try single-tasking! Make an effort to focus on one activity at a time and eliminate distractions and any negative self-talk while you are engaged in that activity.

If you are grocery shopping, don’t think about what you still have to get done at home or at work. Just focus on the task at hand.  Enjoy picking out nutritious food and take in all the colors of the fresh produce. Do some people watching while you shop and observe all of the interactions and activity around you.

If you are at work, try to focus on one task at a time. Give yourself at least 30 uninterrupted minutes to focus on that task exclusively. Refrain from checking your phone or email or talking with co-workers for that half hour. If you have a sudden impulse to switch tasks or check your email, then write that impulse down on a post-it and keep working.

Remind yourself throughout the day to focus exclusively on what you’re doing in that moment. This practice will re-center your thoughts and help you to enjoy what you’re doing and perform each task with greater proficiency. Focusing on doing minimizes nagging distractions and worries.

How do you create time in your day to center yourself and focus on positive thoughts?