Why do we want to have a positive mindset? Because we love that chemical brain release feeling called happiness, right? What helps us maintain a positive attitude even when shit-storms hit us?

Let’s face it, it’s too difficult to always be positive when facing life challenges...unless we’ve become Buddha and reached nirvana. However, I believe there are certain things we can do in life to help perceive challenges with a positive attitude and maintain that mindset.

Here’s a list of 10 tips I’d like to share with you, that help me maintain a positive mindset:

1. Practice daily meditation

I know, you’ve heard it before and you might be rolling your eyes at this first tip that seems to appear in almost every self-help and spiritual text. But have you stopped to think why? Well, because it works! I mean, don’t expect to lift from a depression out of the blue just by sitting once for 15 minutes. That’s not what’s going to happen. Like anything in life, you must practice meditation on a regular basis before you finally start feeling the positive effects. Give yourself time by exploring different techniques. Start with a couple of minutes and gradually increase. Then you’ll see, meditation will open up windows of perception in your mind and a positive attitude will appear naturally.

2. Eat healthy food and not-so-healthy sometimes

Remember the old saying, “you are what you eat’’? Well, we are actually more than what we eat. We are also the reaction of every living cell in our body to the food, drinks and substances we choose to consume. The reaction our body produces to what we eat affects our health and attitude in life. I’m not a nutritionist, but it doesn’t take a health degree to understand that eating well means eating fresh and whole foods regularly. However, I believe that balance is important in life and we should be able to treat ourselves to a hamburger or ice cream occasionally.

3. Work on your patience and tolerance towards others

We all get annoyed by certain people sometimes and those feelings are normal. But how about making an effort to push those feelings away and try to understand why someone is annoying us? You have two choices: ignore the person that annoys you or listen to what they have to say. By really listening to them, you are giving them a chance to make their point without judging them. Who knows?, you might even end up learning something from them!

4. Tell your family and friends you love them

Don’t wait for Valentine’s Day, Christmas or their Birthday to tell your family and friends you love them. Just do it whenever you feel it! By spreading the love, you attract love...it’s just natural and the way human beings are. There is absolutely nothing cheezy about this. So what are you waiting for?!

5. Be grateful

I would say this is one of the most important tips I can give you. By being grateful for what you have in life, you realize that you are actually very lucky and that a lot of people only have a fraction of what you possess. That automatically creates a positive mindset. We all have at least something to be grateful for, no matter how small it is. And the grass is never greener on the other side.

6. Volunteer

Most of us live a hectic life filled with a number of responsibilities. When we have free time, the only interesting scenario may involve relaxing on the sofa with a beer and Netflix binge-watching. There is nothing wrong with that and heck,...we deserve it! However, carving out a couple of hours of volunteer work on a monthly basis or during certain weeks of the year, not only helps communities in need but also provides you with a heart-warming feeling.

7. Learn to accept challenges and view them as opportunities

This is not an easy one and I bet it’s not meant to be. When shit-storms hit, we just want to cave away and let ourselves drown in the pool of negativity. We will have a tendency to play the victim and suddenly our view of life becomes gray. But when we become aware that challenges are part of life, that you’re no more a victim than anyone else and that we all have battles, that state of consciousness can lead us to view them as an opportunity to grow. It is important to accept that you are facing a challenge and grieve all the time you need on what you have lost. Then, have the courage to accept what you cannot change, get up and welcome the opportunity that life is preparing for you.

8. Give yourself time to indulge in what makes you happy, as often as possible

Now, this should be a simple one! Spoil yourself often, give yourself that love and stop waiting for others to give it to you. Think of those things that make you happy and treat yourself whenever possible. Dancing makes you happy but you’re too broke to go to the club? Well, just put your favorite music on and dance your heart away in the living room like nobody is watching. And if there are people watching, well tell them to join you and have fun!

9. Share music, a lecture or art that inspires you

By sharing what inspires us with others, we spread that positive vibe naturally. A connection is created with people when we share that song that makes us want to sing and dance, that book that motivates us or that painting that makes us want to dream. As a former DJ, I realized that when you share the music you love with people on the dancefloor and you get tuned-in with them, there is a collective positive vibe that fills the air. That is the most amazing feeling you can ever get as a DJ!

10. Don’t be so hard on yourself

Last but not least, please, be patient with yourself. We all make mistakes, constantly and it is totally human. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. By adopting a positive mindset, try to learn from your mistakes and not repeat them. If you repeat mistakes, try to figure out what is causing them. What is the pattern behind them? Meditate on that. But please, don’t be so hard on yourself. Perfection is an illusion and keeping a positive attitude helps us get the motivation we need to become a better person each day.

I hope these tips can help you, as they have helped me! Please feel free to share any other tips you have to create and maintain a positive mindset by commenting on this post.