Positive Intelligence is the ability to consciously transform your emotions from negative into positive. In this newsletter we will show you a new tool for changing your negative self-talk into positive self-talk through expressive writing.
Expressive writing allows your brain to express positive emotions and improve emotional intelligence. Benefits include improved sleep, better mood, better decision making, improved self view, improved health, and improved well being.
We are our own harshest critics. Learning tools to improve positive intelligence can help us become more productive and live happier lives.
A great tool for developing your positive self talk is to practice expressive writing. The idea behind expressive writing is to get your thoughts and feelings down on paper so you can practice consciously changing negative self talk into positive self talk.
Tips for Expressive Writing:
1. Buy a plain lined notebook and keep it somewhere you won’t forget about it.
2. When you feel unproductive, down, stressed, or just before bed, write in the notebook (spend around 5 – 20 minutes as needed).
3. Write freely, ignore spelling and grammar.
4. Write whatever is on your mind, and don’t judge it. You can change the way you feel if you change the way you talk to yourself.
5. Try to use more positive emotion words than negative emotion words, but don’t ignore the negative stuff. Use words like “thankful”, “happy”, and “brave”.
6. Consciously change your perspective while you’re writing, look for the positive instead of the negative.
7. Do not be hard on yourself. Pat yourself on the back for things you accomplished, and don’t dwell on those things that may not have gone the way you planned. Something good comes out of everything, you just have to want to see it.