@CanadianOtter
A technique that I like others to practice is the idea of "Flipping It." It is basically taking a negative thought and Flipping It into a positive. For example; "I will never finish this report!" Flip It = "I am working hard on this report and when it is done it will be my best effort." Does this make sense? The power of positive psychology has been shown to be effective in reducing both anxiety and depression. Another technique is practicing the act of gratitude. This can be done by saying it outloud or in a journal form.
It is a mistery why people get hooked on being negative.it is almost as allowing youreself to feel miserable is its own little pleasure. One way to be more positive is interrupt youreself when youre thoughts are going that way and consciously direct ure attention somewhere else.
Thank you for reaching out to the community. I think many of us here are also wondering how we can start focusing on the positives instead of the negatives, so you asked a very good question. I think the first thing you have to remember is to be patient with yourself. It's going to take time and it's going to be hard, but you can do it and you can change. For me, I found giving myself small motivations everyday helped. When I was in college, some days I would have a hard time getting out of bed to go to class, but I would always pass a goat farm on my way in. Goats make me happy, so I started to think, if I go today, I can see the goats. This helped me stay focused on a positive instead of the negative of not wanting to go. I also found being grateful for things really helped. It's hard to feel grateful when you feel so depressed, so I started small. Like, oh my hair looks okay today etc. Over time, I started to see and feel gratitude for bigger things. :) I wish you good luck on your journey and I hope that you find a method that works for you.