At the core is the idea that our thoughts can block us from viewing life in a positive way, a way that’s helpful to us. Positive thinking helps us to identify those beliefs we hold which drag us down and distort our thinking (In my RenewYou course I call this our internal mail), and change them.

The first step in managing your unhelpful thinking is becoming aware of the negative thoughts. Jot them down each time they pop into your head:

“I can’t do that”, “I’m no good at that”, “I’ll fail this” etc.

Each time you find yourself falling into the old pattern try answering these three questions:

• What is my evidence for this?
• Is there any evidence that doesn’t support this belief? Be as honest and objective as you can; treat it as an academic exercise.
• How might someone else interpret this event? What’s an alternative way of explaining what’s happened?

What are your best tips for keeping in a positive frame of mind?