Just Be Thankful positivetranceformations.com.au

Being positive and having a good

attitude goes a long way to avoiding

problems with anxiety and depression.

Sure, sometimes there is a medical or

physical reason behind these mental

problems, but a lot of times, it’s all

down to the mind and to the way

that you think.

Often, the mind does need re-training

(which is one of the things that

hypnotherapy aims to do) to see the

world through glasses that see glasses

as being half full rather than half empty.

Gratitude is one of the things that

helps you stay positive: turning your

mind onto what’s going right in the

world rather than what’s wrong with it

usually does.

If you have a grateful attitude, then

you’re more likely to stay cheerful no

matter what your circumstances.

The reverse is also true:

you can find people who live in cushy

circumstances who are always

miserable in spite of what they have

because they focus on all the things

that don’t go right.

Cultivating an “attitude of gratitude” is

something that takes time, especially if

you have had a habit of complaining

and focusing on the negative in the

past.

Try this little quiz to see how your

attitude rates.

Q1: It’s Monday and you really

don’t feel like going to work thanks

to a bad cold that isn’t quite bad

enough for take the day off. What is

your response?

A: Cram in a few aspirins to get through the

day and look forward to collapsing at home

once the day’s over. At least you have a

job…

B: Feel sorry for yourself but promise

yourself a bit of a treat at lunchtime as a

way of cheering yourself up.

C: Grumble about it and drag yourself to

work cursing your luck.

Q2: You notice that you’ve been

putting on a bit of weight lately.

How do you respond?

A: Well, you’ve got an excuse to go clothes

shopping now, haven’t you?

B: Shrug it off as an inevitable result of too

much partying.

C: Get angry at yourself and resolve to have

no pudding for the next month as well as

making sure that you hit the gym daily.

Q3: Christmas is looming and you’re

going to be hosting the family

dinner. You haven’t bought any

presents yet. Your response?

A: Look forward to spending time with your

family.

B: Panic a bit and make lists of everything

you have do to and who you have to buy

presents for.

C: Sympathise with Scrooge and the Grinch

and wonder why you ever volunteered to

host the do. You vow never to do so again.

Q4: It’s Saturday and it looks like a

tornado has hit the inside of the

house. You had hoped to go out to

watch a sports match in the

morning. What do you do?

A: Put on some music and get stuck in – it isn’t

that much to do and then you’ve to the match to

look forward to.

B: Do the main things and then go off to the

match, although you know that the work

awaiting you will nag at your mind while you’re

watching.

C: Grumble as you begin to tidy up – and you

won’t be surprised if the job takes so long that

you end up missing the start of the match.

Q5: A friend phones you up needing

help for the third time this month.

You agree to help him/her but how

do you respond inside?

A: Feel flattered that your friend trusts you

and relies on you so much – you must be

doing something right.

B: Wonder what on earth’s up with this

friend to make him/her so disaster-prone.

C: Wonder if you have “doormat” tattooed

on your forehead – you’re being taken

advantage of again.

Q6: Your daughter has beautiful long

hair and she’s woken up with it all

matted and tangled. What action do

you take?

A: Make her have a shower and put conditioner

through her hair, which will make her hair glossy

as well as easier to tangle – it looks so pretty

when it’s groomed.

B: Roll your eyes and get on with the job of

brushing and combing – or make her do it

herself.

C: Make a booking with the hairdresser for that

afternoon – you’re not putting up with this any

longer.

Q7: The traffic’s heavy and you’re

slowed to a crawl on the way home.

How do you respond?

A: Turn up the radio and sing along, as well

as taking some time for a few deep

breathing exercises and the like.

B: The next time you come to a standstill,

you use your cellphone to text your family

to say that you’ll be late home.

C: Feel your blood pressure rising and think

up insults to call all your fellow drivers, even

if you never actually say them.

Q8: Your significant other is going to

be away for the weekend. You know

that you’ll miss him/her but how else

do you feel?

A: You look forward to getting the bed to

yourself and eating all those things that you

love but he/she doesn’t.

B: Distract yourself from missing him/her by

going out with your friends and reading

books.

C: Wonder why on earth you’ve been stuck

at home doing all the chores again and hope

like mad that he/she doesn’t play around

while they’re away.

Q9: You had planned on going out

for a run this morning but it’s

pouring with rain. What do you do

next?

A: Go for the run anyway – it’s fun having

the path to yourself and letting yourself

stamp in puddles like a child again. You’re

going to get changed later, so getting wet

doesn’t matter.

B: Shudder and decide to work out indoors

and/or just skip exercise for today.

C: Roll your eyes and wonder how much

flab you’re going to put on during the wet

season this year.

Q10: Which of the following would

you be most likely to choose as a

bumper sticker or a T-shirt slogan.

A: Every cloud has a silver lining.

B: This too shall pass.

C: Life’s a bitch and then you die.

Your score:

Mostly As:

Your friends probably call you

Pollyanna. You don’t need any help

learning to be more grateful. You could

probably teach the rest of us a few

things about having a good positive

attitude.

Mostly Bs:

Your responses are typical for most

people. You can improve your attitude

by choosing to focus on the positive

things rather than the negative. How

about starting a journal or diary and

listing all the things that you’re grateful

for in one day – six is a good number

to start with for you.

Mostly Cs:

You might need a bit of help to get that chip

off your shoulder. It’s going to start hurting

you physically as well as affecting your

relationships and your mood. Start small:

write down one thing that’s gone right or

that you’ve enjoyed or that you’re glad you

have every day. Just one. Other things may

spring to mind. Want to write down more?

Go ahead!

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