Positive thinking is essential to self-confidence and overall health. According to the Mayo Clinic, positive thinking is scientifically linked to longer lives, lower rates of depression, increased immunity, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. We have been conditioned to think negatively, compare ourselves to others, and get stuck in self-deprecating cycles of worry. It’s all around us, in the news, on your Facebook feed, even in your home. So how do you make the shift to feeling more positive and confident? Start small, with positive and intentional actions every day. The more you practice positive thoughts and behaviors, the more confident and self-assured you will feel. Here are ten ways you can feel more positive and confident every day.

The right book can crack you open to fantastic feelings. When you find one that resonates with you, it can help break patterns that keep you from living the life you want. Looking for a good read that will get you thinking in a new way, feel happier, and gain tools to keep you from falling back into the cycle of low self-esteem? These may do the trick.

Break bad habits and commit to new behaviors with tips that will help make long lasting changes and increase your self-esteem. Learn how here.

Happy holidays? Get real! Maybe a happier holiday will do. For many, the holidays are anything but happy. There's the stress to spend too much, dealing with family dysfunction and those feelings of insecurity from comparing your life to family and friends' lives. All of these can wreck the holiday season. When you focus on the past, the problems and the feelings of frustration it produces takes away from all the self-confidence and self-esteem you have been working on. When we put our energy into negative thinking or those on the naughty list, our self-esteem plummets. Instead, focusing on feeling happier will make this a happier holiday for you and the ones you love.

Your negative thoughts are very powerful. Think of a snowball rolling down a steep hill, the more traction it gains, the more likely it will turn into an avalanche of snow. The same is true for negative thoughts. That tiny moment of "I can't", "I suck", "I should be...", can start the snowball effect in your mind. Negative thoughts can affect your entire day and life if you let it.

Want to feel more confident everyday? Try these tips for overcoming self-doubt and build unshakeable confidence in every moment of the day.

Do you suffer from thoughts that keep you from feeling happy? High expectations and impossible standards? Learn how to get rid of perfectionism and be happy.

Your negative thoughts and beliefs can hijack your self-esteem, and those negative thoughts didn't show up overnight. They are often habits, conditioned thoughts, that have been with you for years. Perhaps you have been putting yourself down since childhood without a second thought. If that's the case, your negative thoughts have manipulated you for a very long time.

How can you learn to like yourself? Get easy tools to start liking yourself, even loving your body and mind, to build a positive sense of self.

Learn tools to talk back to negative thoughts that keep you stuck. Acting opposite will help you take small steps to make big changes in your life.