How's Your Attitude?

What is attitude? The dictionaries have several definitions but let’s share a few below;

1.    “It is a way of feeling or acting toward a person, thing or situation”.

2.    “Attitude is a predisposition or a tendency to respond positively or negatively towards a certain idea, object, person, or situation. Attitude influences an individual's choice of action, and responses to challenges, incentives, and rewards…”

3.    “Attitude is a manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; a tendency or orientation, especially of the mind: a negative attitude; group attitudes: a position or posture of the body appropriate to or expressive of an action, emotion, etc”.

4.    “Your attitude to something is the way that you think and feel about it, especially when this shows in the way you behave”.

The Four Attitudes of Teenagers

When it comes to attitude, we, teenagers have them in different sizes and colours. Generally notorious for exhibiting the bad attitude, the truth is that teenagers embody plenty of positive attitudes. Yes, the bad attitude may seem more prominent and it can really drive people crazy. We have our vintage eye-roll, the angry outburst, the sarcastic retort, the very loud and long sigh, the cold shoulder, the hot temper, or that irritating ‘look’. We virtually wear our brash behaviour like a badge of honor!

Mark Gregston, an American author, speaker, and radio host, writes that teenagers manifest four major attitudes. We’ll find where we belong;

Anxiety

The world has observed that we demonstrate a constant dread—a fear of life and the world.  Some of us hate going to school; are afraid of social events; or are angry about the state of the world. We are affected by happenings around the world - famine, war, disease, murder, inequality, etc - and feel strongly about them.  Unfortunately, it is the tragic and evil things that take the headlines in the media. So we develop an attitude of anguish and try to block out the world. We can’t help but express sorrow, worry and fear so much that it affects other people’s lives.

Apprehension

Teenagers are increasingly getting more anxious than ever. We are becoming more and more stressed, stretched, and strained.  We feel the concerns and pressures of our parents, peers, or culture (and maybe a mixture of all three) and gain an attitude of self-doubt and apprehension.  So, we now have teenagers diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), living in a state of fear about all the terrible things that could happen to them and putting off an air of restlessness and trouble. Hey, a little anxiety is a great motivator.  Pressure can help us study harder, practice more and prepare better. But too much worry can quickly spiral out of control.

Anger

Many people can vividly describe their baptism from a teenager with an angry attitude. The rage can be processed in a variety of ways.  We punch the wall or bang our heads on the floor in fury or turn that anger inward, and become depressed, isolated and lonely. Frankly, all anger is an emotional response to an unmet need; something important like wanting praise or acceptance or trivial like not having a new phone or being grounded.  Anger is not necessarily a bad thing – we all get fired up from time to time - but an angry attitude should not be excused or ignored.

Arrogance

The arrogant attitude of a teenager can really get under your skin.  It can make your blood boil but the truth is that this cocky attitude is a sign of insecurity, where a teen feels they are not measuring up so they put on a false bravado to mask it. It is another way we are coping with our changing world.

The Positive Attitude

Yet some teenagers just seem to radiate happiness and good energy and leave others wondering, "Why do they have so many friends? Why are they so popular? What is it about them that makes them so great?" What they have is called "a positive attitude". Having a positive attitude will help you to get the best out of life, while having fun and laughter. At www.wikihow.com, we get to learn how teenagers can get that positive attitude they need;

1. Be Proactive. Think about things ahead of time and determine to tackle them head-on instead of just waiting around for bad ones to happen. This will help you end up with more happy moments.

2.   Be Positive. Believe that each moment is perfect, regardless of what happens later. Even the bad moments are a part of life and you don't need to let them drag you down. Things happen. Just let it go.

3.   Be Grateful. Gratitude is a simple way to make you appreciate your life so much more. There's nothing wrong with having dreams or goals, but in the meantime, enjoy what you have... even though it may not be much.

4.   Seize every Opportunity. Just so you don’t regret it later. When you have the chance to improve yourself or try something new, don't sit around at home and wonder and think about the pros and cons. Rub minds with other good ‘heads’, and jump in with two feet and do it! New experiences are a great way to help you enjoy your life.

5.   Keep your sense of humor. Learn to laugh. Laughing creates such a positive energy within you and those who can hear you. Don't take your life too seriously. Some moments are funny… That’s life for you.

6.   Take charge of your destiny. No one can take your dreams from you as long as you're still breathing. If you have determination and will power, you can do almost anything. Success is whatever you determine it to be and you can be successful.

Activities That Teach Teenagers a Positive Attitude

We have already figured out that your attitude determines how you see yourself and how you respond to the world. When you look at the world through a positive lens, it is vastly different from through a negative lens. Behavioural experts have identified activities that teach you a positive attitude that should be part of your daily routines. www.parentingmonkey.com gives us five activities that you can do to improve your attitude.

1. Share Positive Things. When someone asks you, ‘How was your day’? put on your energy-revving mode. Tell them about your;

a)    Nailing a difficult test in school

b)    Volunteer work

c)    Completing a passionate project

d)    Getting a dream job

e)    Meeting someone special

The world can be a rough place, with the stresses of school, afterschool activities, difficult relationships (including bullying), etc. Your positive end-of-the-day ritual helps to put the negatives into perspective.

2. Try Affirmations. If you are finding it difficult to overcome a particular activity, make positive affirmations. This will help you reprogram your subconscious beliefs. Most habits take at least 21 days to stick. So, try positive affirmations for at least 21 days. Do them for a few minutes in the morning and in the evening to develop a new way of thinking. Over time, your feelings about that situation will change and will, in turn, spur new action and new success.

3. Keep a Journal. Putting pen to paper can change a person’s attitude. If you like to write, keeping a journal might just be the boost you need to improve your attitude. Writing your thoughts down not only helps you catalog your life, it also assists you in processing emotions. Being able to externalize bad feelings is one of the biggest benefits you can gain from writing in a journal. Bad feelings can lead to a bad attitude.

Journal-writing also encourages you to put your goals down on paper and accomplishing them builds self-esteem, which in turn helps to build a positive mental attitude. Your diary can also be a place where you can take an attitude inventory. Sometimes, you need time to process things before you really understand how you feel.

4. Exercise. Doing some regular exercise can boost your mental attitude. Exercising releases feel-good endorphins that will change your outlook, irrespective of the situation. You can take up activities like walking or jogging, yoga or martial arts. They will eventually help you develop a body-positive image.

5. Gratitude. Gratitude encourages you to look on the bright side each day. Dwell on positive things, quotes or even pictures; surround yourself with them each day to brighten your mood and to help you develop a positive outlook. A daily list of positive experiences ensures that there is always a new supply of positive thoughts just waiting to be experienced.

Conclusion

Keeping a positive attitude requires work each day. If you want to look on the bright side, you’ll have to engage in activities that build self-esteem and a positive outlook. There are many worthy activities that exist and will help you change your outlook from bad to good. It’s all about perspective. This world has good things to offer, you know, take time to identify the myriad of pure, noble, right, and true things happening all around the world.  Talk about the things worth celebrating. Life has more joy and happiness that what we can see at the moment.

If you do experience the tendency to think negatively, then take a break. Instead of getting into discussions about what needs to be done tomorrow or the problems of the day, laugh. Yes, laugh. Take the opportunity to breathe and escape that overwhelming world.  It is very okay to relax and have fun every once in a while.