My advice for maintaining a positive attitude is: be conscious of your thoughts, be generous to others, and be grateful. By being conscious of every negative thought that comes into your mind you can stop it in its tracks and switch it immediately to something positive. This may take some practice, but getting into a habit of switching focus from negative to positive thoughts will eventually make negative thoughts happen less and less. By being generous to others, you are automatically creating positive feelings and happiness. Acts of giving and kindness bring out positive emotions in all people.  The easiest thing to give is a smile. When you smile at a stranger and get a smile back, you get an instant mood lift. Finally, count your blessings and be grateful for everything good you have in your life. Sometimes we forget the simple things that make our lives so rich. Once you focus on all the good things and people in your life, you will feel happy and lucky. Do this more often, and you’ll be a pro at thinking positively!

Collapse

Having confidence is something that has to come from the inside.  Possessing good looks is not the answer to being happy on the inside. To be truly happy you must look inside to your inner qualities that make you a beautiful person. Physical beauty is only skin deep and doesn't last - it fades with age and can be taken away in a second. But inner qualities last a lifetime and will fulfill your life.

Focus on helping others, and on your loved ones. Find a hobby that you are good at and be proud of yourself for that.

There are also many self-help books you can read. I recommend "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle.

Take care of yourself and know that you are a unique and beautiful person who deserves happiness.

Collapse

There are many factors that can affect your sleep. Knowing what these factors are can help you understand why you may not be sleeping properly and you can then adjust your lifestyle to get the sleep you need. Read about what can affect your sleep in the Sleep Stealers article.

If you have trouble falling asleep, try this method that I use if insomnia persists. While lying in bed with your eyes closed, tell yourself this: “If I can’t fall asleep in 2 minutes I will get up and start cleaning my room/washing dishes/working”. Honestly promise yourself that you will get up out of bed and begin doing a boring or unpleasant task. Picture yourself getting up and starting on that task. Remarkably, it works so well – you will feel lazy and tired, and sleep will come naturally. It works for me every time!

Collapse