If there is one thing that I have learned over the years, it is that negative thinking can be a person's worst enemy. I am sure most people have experienced this to a certain extent or have struggled to get things done efficiently because of their negative thinking.

People experience serious issues like anxiety or depression, and sometimes negative thinking contributes to these circumstances. Today I will be giving tips on how to be more positive, and why it is important to be aware of the thoughts that may get in the way of day to day tasks.

My three tips on how to be more positive:

1. Try to keep away from any negative people in your life.

Sometimes we come across people in life who constantly succeed in putting other people down. Whether this negativity is intentional or unintentional, nobody should have to put up with it, because there are more important things to tackle in a day than listen to someone complain. It is understandable to be there for people when they need you, but when their negativity starts to affect your happiness and life in general, that is when change needs to be made.

I know from firsthand experience that being surrounded by positive people is extremely refreshing after being surrounded by negativity. More progress can be made by surrounding ourselves with positive influences, whether it is at work, school, or home. Also, there is that saying that who you surround yourself with, you become, which I find to be extremely true.

People's words and influence can be very toxic and detrimental to how one feels about themselves. Everyone should surround themselves with people who encourage them to grow and believe in themselves, not people who want to see them fail.

2. Spend less time on social media.

This may be very difficult for some to achieve because social media is our immediate source of entertainment throughout the day. Although, I have noticed that when I spend less time on social media, I feel better about myself and other aspects in my life.

Similar to my first tip, which involves keeping away from negative people, this involves keeping away from potentially negative posts, pictures, videos, etc. I say this because I know others like myself who have compared themselves to these beautiful people on social networks like Instagram whose appearance is seemingly perfect. It is possible that these "Instagram models" have accomplished this because of the certain angles of their selfies or they have the help of a filter. Regardless, we should not forget about our own worth and beauty.

Also, social networks such as Twitter and Facebook involve a lot of posts that might not always have the nicest intention. It can seem harmless when only scrolling down a timeline, but a lot of these posts may provoke people to feel like they should compare their lives to the lives of others. It is an even worse time for some people if certain posts are intended to make them feel bad about themselves.

Social media can be very resourceful, but don't let it get to you in a negative way.

3. Keep yourself busy doing things you like.

We tend to get caught up in the stress of a rushed life, but sometimes we deserve to give ourselves a little break. Doing the things I like to do (like dancing) usually distracts me from anything negative going on in my life at that particular moment.

There are some days that I just lay in bed overthinking and I start to think about what worries me. This brings upon an overwhelming feeling, and I deal with this by doing something that will keep me distracted from these negative thoughts and feelings.

In this case, I think it is better to do things you like because doing so diverts negative thinking and you can have fun at the same.

Remember that there is so much to look forward to, so continue doing so with optimism.