How to Live a More Positive Life in 2019

From deleting social media to practicing mindfulness, here’s how to start the new year off on the right note.

Tired of all the toxicity in the world? You’re not alone. While we’re living in an undeniably polarized cultural environment, experts say we can get 2019 off on a more positive note by going through a negativity detox.

First, ask yourself a tough question: Are you part of the problem? “Eliminate any discussions about money, politics or religion outside of your home, because you’re not going to convince anyone to change their attitudes,” says Dr. Taliba M. Foster of Main Line Psychiatric in Ardmore.

People are entitled to their views, says Foster, but expressing them in a productive way isn’t always easy. “As a general rule, it’s best to keep hot topics out of your normal daily discourse,” she says.

Next, change the channel—literally. Limit exposure to cable TV news commentary, advises Tanya Tecce, a therapist who practices in Springfield. “If you watch that kind of news in the morning, you’re in reactionary mode all day,” says Tecce.

Replace that bombast with music, TED talks, podcasts and other forms of informational entertainment that enrich your brain without depressing it. And while you’re at it, do a social media cleanse “People feel badly about themselves because they want the lifestyles that they see on Instagram and Facebook,” says Wynnewood’s Tyra S. Gardner, an anger management and cyber psychology specialist. “Those aren’t usually real, or at least not the whole story.”

Related: 5 Ways to Digitally Detox

Social media can be an echo chamber that perpetuates anger, narrow mindedness and depression, says Gardner, who challenges patients to eschew social media for 30 days.

Tecce agrees—with the caveat that, when it comes to social media, going cold turkey isn’t always doable. She suggests deleting Facebook from your phone so you’re not constantly checking your feed. Next, edit your friends. “I unfollow everyone except those who post positive affirmation, great photos, inspiring quotes and other kinds of positivity,” Tecce says.

Also unsubscribe from mass marketed promotional emails. “Be ruthless,” Tecce advises. “If it doesn’t light you up when you see it, unsubscribe.”

Foster has similar advice about tangible and digital clutter. “Get rid of things that no longer serve you—Pinterest pages, people you follow, what’s on your night table and in your closet,” she says. “Donate or delete.”