Perfectionism. Keeping impossible standards and trying to be more perfect sets yourself up for failure. There are times when life feels like it has you cornered: financial difficulties, relationship issues, work problems, all of the above. Every one of us, at one time or another, will have to face up to the challenges that come our way. And there are two ways of meeting them: negatively, where blame is the answer, where other people are at fault, where you haven’t been treated fairly. Or positively, where you own the situation, learn and grow from it, and become a better person at the end of it.

Follow a healthy lifestyle. Aim to exercise for about 30 minutes on most days of the week. You can also break it up into 5- or 10-minute chunks of time during the day. Exercise can positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. Get enough sleep. And learn techniques to manage stress.

Identify areas to change. If you want to become more optimistic and engage in more positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you usually think negatively about, whether it's work, your daily commute, life changes or a relationship. You can start small by focusing on one area to approach in a more positive way. Think of a positive thought to manage your stress instead of a negative one. Kim ES, et al. Optimism and cause-specific mortality: A prospective cohort study. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2016; doi:10.1093/aje/kww182.

Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed. Blaming. You try to say someone else is responsible for what happened to you instead of yourself. You avoid being responsible for your thoughts and feelings.Not sure if your self-talk is positive or negative? Some common forms of negative self-talk include: Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all the positive ones. For example, you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. That evening, you focus only on your plan to do even more tasks and forget about the compliments you received. There are times when life feels like it has you cornered: financial difficulties, relationship issues, work problems, all of the above. Every one of us, at one time or another, will have to face up to the challenges that come our way. And there are two ways of meeting them: negatively, where blame is the answer, where other people are at fault, where you haven't been treated fairly. Or positively, where you own the situation, learn and grow from it, and become a better person at the end of it. Letting you into areas of his life he’s never talked about before, in Zero Negativity, Ant will show you how to embrace failure and use it to your advantage, how to see change as the foundation of your future success, how to develop resilience, how to deal with bullies, what it means to be a positive roll model, and how to live a life with no regrets.

Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2nd ed. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition. Accessed Oct. 20, 2021. Seaward BL. Cognitive restructuring: Reframing. Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-Being. 8th ed. Burlington, Mass.: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2018.The world needs more honesty and humility, so I applaud his continued efforts to support and inspire a nation of people he's protected for years. The layout of the book featuring stories from Ant's life, to advice, to Emilie's perspective and recapping with a summary at the end of each chapter in very simple language and briefness was effective. This book is about the power of positive thinking and how it can change your life. It explains the nature of negativity, how to deal with negativity in your life, and how positive thinking will help you achieve your goals. This was the first book I have read in ages...This English teacher is blaming Zoom fatigue and IB marking! I went down to the beach in Sai Kung and after a couple of days relaxing, the brain rebooted and I chose this as it's a nice, easy double-spaced read on a subject of interest. This book was a really great read, especially as a first read of the year. Although it was simple and somewhat obvious at times, it made me realise that things don't need to be overly complex and sometimes you need that reminder of how to practice positivity as we often forget its significance.

Zero Negativity: The Power of Positive Thinking features 10 chapters which follow a layout containing stories from Anthony Middleton's life (inclusive of childhood, military life, experiences, opportunities), sections presenting advice learnt by Ant and for the reader to learn/take on board, insight on Ant through Emilie's perspective and concluding with key take aways from each chapter. Life is too short to be this negative," states the author, Ant Middleton. It's difficult not to be aware of how people are always so worried about what they don't have and constantly feeling sorry for themselves. Middleton claims that it's better to live in the present, focusing on what you do have rather than dwelling on what you don't. He talks about the power of positive thinking and how it can help you achieve your goals. The audiobook is narrated by Ant Middleton himself. Seaward BL. Essentials of Managing Stress. 4th ed. Burlington, Mass.: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2021. Amonoo HL, et al. Is optimism a protective factor for cardiovascular disease? Current Cardiology Reports. 2021; doi:10.1007/s11886-021-01590-4.Forte AJ, et al. The impact of optimism on cancer-related and postsurgical cancer pain: A systematic review. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2021; doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.09.008. Letting you into areas of his life he's never talked about before, in Zero Negativity, Ant will show you how to embrace failure and use it to your advantage, how to see change as the foundation of your future success, how to develop resilience, how to deal with bullies, what it means to be a positive roll model, and how to live a life with no regrets. Rounding off Middleton's "Mindset Trilogy" we have Zero Negativity. As a massive fan of the first two books, First Man In and The Fear Bubble, I found this to be a great continuation and finale. First Man In focuses on Ants life, in The Fear Bubble we explored his soul, and here, finally, we have an in-depth analysis of his mindset and outlook on life. He offers strong advice on how to remain positive in the worst of situations, and how a positive mindset can make a seemingly impossible situation end in success, in a multitude of ways. If a parent behaves in a negative way around their child, then, guess what, their child is going to grow up with a negative mindset.