33. The Practical Guide: How to Positive Think (Positive Psychology Tools for Busy Women, Entrepreneurs & Parents) with Natasha Kiemel
- Brittany Miller
- Nov 7, 2023
- 11 min read
Updated: 1 hour ago
If you keep asking yourself how to positive think when the to-do list is long, the baby is crying, and your business inbox won’t stop — you’re in the right place. This guide pulls together practical psychology, simple daily rituals, and clear steps you can use right now to shift your mindset, protect your energy, and create lasting momentum. It draws from evidence-based positive psychology ideas, real-world entrepreneur routines, and a focus on women’s transitions (including pregnancy, perinatal and postpartum periods). If you’re searching for positive psychology Canada resources, you’ll find concrete recommendations woven through the blog and even more in the full conversation with Natasha.
If we haven't met yet, I’m Brittany, an online marketing strategist for female entrepreneurs. I teach women how to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality through smart, actionable marketing strategies that get them seen, loved, and paid. Whether you’re eager to DIY your way to success or hire professionals to help you along the way–my goal is to make sure you walk away with the clarity you need to see the results you desire and build a life you love.
Meet Natasha
Joining me on the Go Get Great podcast today is Natasha Kiemel-Incorvaia. She is a registered psychologist, speaker and founder of Graciously You Psychological Services, which provides telehealth appointments to women across Australia. She has over 13 years training in the field of psychology and has been helping clients with their mental health for over 8 years. Natasha is passionate about bringing the world of psychology online and giving women access to high quality support regardless of location. To do this she has just launched her second business Gracefully Redefine You and will be launching her signature course, Invitation to Align & Elevate in the coming months.
Table of Contents
Why mindset matters: the simple truth about how to positive think
Meet the framework: 2–4% shifts (micro changes, massive compounding)
Gratitude plus imagery: a compact daily routine that actually moves the needle
Practical nervous system tools: breathing, grounding, and readiness
Preparing for motherhood while running a business: boundaries, communication, expectation
What I wish someone told me sooner (lessons from the trenches)
Why mindset matters: the simple truth about how to positive think
Your mindset is the engine of everything you do. When you learn how to positive think in a consistent, realistic way, your energy, creativity, and capacity to follow through all improve. Positive thinking isn’t about pretending everything is perfect. It’s about shifting attention toward what’s useful, building small sustainable habits, and strengthening your nervous system so you don’t burn out.
In short: learning how to positive think gives you more clarity, better decisions, and greater resilience — which makes life and business work together, rather than fight each other.
Meet the framework: 2–4% shifts (micro changes, massive compounding)
One of the most practical psychology ideas Natasha suggests that you can adopt is the 2–4% shift. Think of it as the mental equivalent of going to the gym once a week when you start: small, consistent changes build neural pathways and sustainable habit loops. If you’re wondering how to positive think without overwhelming yourself — this idea is for you.
Why 2–4%? Because huge, overnight overhauls usually fail. They trigger stress, self-blame, and give your nervous system a reason to push back. When you practice how to positive think with tiny steps — a daily two-minute gratitude habit, a five-minute breathing routine, a 10-minute planning window — you’re stacking wins. Those wins reshape how you talk to yourself and what you do next.
How the 2–4% shift works in practice
Start smaller than you think: one small new action, not ten.
Repeat it consistently: daily or three times a week beats a big burst then nothing.
Notice and celebrate progress: focus on what you did, not what you missed.
Increase slowly: once one small habit feels stable (usually after 2-4 weeks, add another small habit.
Each tiny change is a practice in how to positive think: the mental skill of noticing what’s working and building on it instead of hyper-focusing on failure. Over weeks and months, this compounds into real, measurable change. Learn even more about this in my conversation with Natasha. 👇🏻
Gratitude plus imagery: a compact daily routine that actually moves the needle
Gratitude is not fluff. When you pair gratitude with imagery and sensory detail you create a richer emotional memory that your brain wants to repeat. This is one of the fastest ways to teach your system how to positive think.
Here’s a practical 5–10 minute routine you can use tonight:
Find a quiet seat and take three slow breaths to centre yourself.
Recall three things from your day you’re grateful for (big or small).
For each item, spend 20–30 seconds picturing the moment: what you saw, heard, smelled, felt physically.
Sink into the feeling for a breath or two and say a short affirmation (it can be as simple as “I noticed this joy”).
Close by noting one small step you’ll take tomorrow toward your goals — this keeps gratitude grounded in action.
If you want to deepen this, audio-guided visualizations help. They engage multiple senses and make the grateful memory more vivid, increasing motivation and the likelihood of repeating the behaviour the next day. Practicing how to positive think through gratitude + imagery trains both emotion and motivation. Natasha shares some resources (linked at the bottom of the blog) that help with this practise.
Beat the comparison trap: protect your creativity and your business
Comparison is not just a joy thief — it’s a creativity thief. This was one of my favourite pieces of information she shared during our conversation. When you constantly measure your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel, you lose energy, authenticity, and the unique value only you can offer. That’s especially costly for entrepreneurs whose work depends on creativity.
Here’s a short practice to stop comparison and practice how to positive think:
Bracket the distraction: when comparison pops up, mentally put it in brackets — an intentional pause that separates your focus from the external noise.
Refocus on your metrics: remind yourself of the one or two key measures that matter for your business (e.g., client conversions, revenue, well-being days) rather than vanity metrics.
Return to your lane: name one element of your business or creativity you will do today that only you can do.
Comparison is natural, but you can manage it. Developing how to positive think in moments of comparison means leaning into curiosity about your unique process, not self-judgment about outcomes.
Practical nervous system tools: breathing, grounding, and readiness
Positive thinking is easier to access when your nervous system is regulated. Simple breathwork and grounding strategies create an immediate doorway into more constructive thinking patterns.
These are excellent for entrepreneurs, parents, and anyone learning how to positive think during stressful windows.
Box breath (4-4-4-4): Breathe in 4, hold 4, out 4, hold 4. Repeat 3–5 times to shift into a calmer state.
Diaphragmatic breath: Slow 4–6 breaths per minute, focusing on belly expansion to activate the parasympathetic system.
Grounding 5–4–3–2–1: Name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste or one thing you’re thankful for.
Each technique supports how to positive think because it reduces the reactive, fearful mode that fuels negative thought loops. When your body is calmer, your mind can choose thoughts that help rather than harm.
Preparing for motherhood while running a business: boundaries, communication, expectation
If you’re expecting or planning for a growing family and you lead a business, both Natasha and. agree that you’ll need a strategy that protects your energy and preserves your work. The three pillars to plan are boundaries, communication, and expectations.
Boundaries
Decide what you will and will not do before you go into labor. That might mean:
Specific client availability windows
Automated email responses that set expectations
A short list of non-negotiables for your postpartum recovery (e.g., no visitors for X days, protected morning routine)
Communication
Share your plan with your partner, your team, and your clients. Communicate clearly about timelines, who is the point person, and how urgent issues should be handled. Preparing how to positive think about this transition includes planning how you’ll explain boundaries calmly rather than reactively.
Expectation
Be realistic. Every pregnancy and postpartum experience is different. Decide ahead of time what a “good enough” return-to-work plan looks like. Allow room for adjustment. Practicing how to positive think here is about replacing “should” and perfectionism with functional goals and compassion.
Delegate to protect the bubble: alternatives when you can’t do everything
As entrepreneurs it’s tempting to hold tight to control. But part of learning how to positive think is accepting that your business is replaceable enough to allow you to step away for important life phases. Delegation strategies include:
Hiring a VA to manage emails and client intake
Temporarily handing client work to trusted colleagues
Creating pre-planned content buffers (scheduled posts, evergreen resources)
Delegating doesn’t mean failure. It means you’re building a sustainable business that supports life instead of consuming it.
Common mindset blocks and how to reframe them
Here are the most common barriers entrepreneurs and busy parents face when learning how to positive think — and how to work with them:
1. “I don’t have time for mindset work.”
Reframe: Mindset work is time-saving. Two minutes of breathwork or a quick gratitude practice can stop hours of spinning and second-guessing.
2. “If I’m not doing everything perfectly, I’ll fail.”
Reframe: Perfectionism delays progress. Small consistent steps compound. Better is better than perfect.
3. “I can’t delegate; only I understand the clients.”
Reframe: Your job is to design systems so others can carry the work well enough. Someone can do it competently while you step back to reset and birth creativity.
4. “Everyone else seems further along.”
Reframe: Social feeds show highlights, not the full story. If comparison shows up, bracket it and refocus on your next micro-step.
Step-by-step 30-day plan to practice how to positive think
Use this simple 30-day plan to create momentum. Each day focuses on a micro-shift so you can experience steady progress without overwhelm.
Week 1 — Notice and anchor
Day 1: Start a gratitude notebook. Write 3 things from today you’re grateful for.
Day 2: Practice 3 minutes of diaphragmatic breathing in the morning.
Day 3: Capture one small win from your business today and celebrate it (share privately or publicly).
Day 4: Do a 5–4–3–2–1 grounding exercise midday.
Day 5: Reflect on who you’re comparing yourself to and bracket it mentally when it arises.
Day 6: Schedule a 15-minute creative block in your calendar and protect it.
Day 7: Review the week; note what felt doable and what didn’t.
Week 2 — Build small systems
Day 8: Set one weekly business metric to focus on (e.g., client discovery calls).
Day 9: Add a 2-minute evening imagery practice to your gratitude routine.
Day 10: Try a guided 10-minute meditation you enjoy.
Day 11: List three tasks you can delegate and take one off your plate.
Day 12: Practice saying a boundary phrase (e.g., “I’m unavailable then, but here’s an alternative”).
Day 13: Do a short reflection: what thought patterns keep you stuck? Write one replacing thought.
Day 14: Review and refine your week; keep what worked.
Week 3 — Experiment and expand
Day 15: Add a short movement practice to your morning.
Day 16: Test an app for mood tracking or breathing for a week.
Day 17: Share a vulnerability or a learning with your community (authentic connection fuels resilience).
Day 18: Try a 10-minute creative brainstorm, no editing allowed.
Day 19: Practice a short self-compassion exercise after a setback.
Day 20: Audit how many times you compared yourself this week; bracket more intentionally.
Day 21: Review and celebrate progress.
Week 4 — Consolidate and plan
Day 22: Pick two practices from the month to keep long-term.
Day 23: Create an emergency reset routine (3 breaths, 30-second grounding, one gratitude).
Day 24: Schedule time to plan your next 30 days (small steps only).
Day 25: Ask for support — a mentor, a peer, or a VA — for one business task.
Day 26: Practice noticing the growth in your thinking (small wins list).
Day 27: Revisit your business and life priorities and adjust expectations.
Day 28–30: Final review, celebrate, and set the next 30-day micro goals.
Following this plan is a practical, repeatable way to learn how to positive think while still getting the real work done.
What I wish someone told me sooner (lessons from the trenches) - Natasha's Perspective
There are three clear lessons many founders and busy parents learn the hard way. If you accept them now, you’ll avoid common stalls.
Possibility beats fear: Focus your energy on the potential upside rather than the worst-case scenarios. This doesn’t ignore risk; it chooses growth over paralysis.
Community matters: Surround yourself with people who are doing the work — both to model processes and to normalize fear. Positive thinking is contagious in the right company.
Sacrifice is temporary: Short-term hard work (long hours, tighter budgets) can set you up for a life of greater freedom later. That trade-off is a choice — not a permanent sentence.
How to maintain this: rituals that stick
Rituals are the scaffolding for how to positive think. Keep them simple and tied to an anchor (like brushing your teeth or making coffee). Here are reliable anchors:
Morning 5: gratitude, breath, plan (5 minutes total)
Midday reset: 3 breaths + grounding or a short walk
Evening reflection: 3 gratitudes + one small win from the day
Consistency matters more than perfection. If you miss a day, restart the next morning with curiosity, not criticism.
Final thoughts: integrate curiosity, not pressure
Learning how to positive think is a skill, not an instant fix. Treat it like you would learn a language: small daily practice, exposure, feedback, and community support. The 2–4% shifts are not sexy, but they’re sustainable. They let your nervous system adapt, your creativity return, and your business grow without you collapsing into burnout.
Start small. Choose one micro-practice right now — a two-minute breathing exercise or a three-item gratitude list — and commit to it for a week. Notice the difference. This is how to positive think in a way that honours who you are, what you’re building, and the life you want to create. You can also connect with Natasha for more tools and resources.
FAQ About How To Think Positively
How quickly will I notice results when I start practicing how to positive think?
If you consistently practice a small micro-habit (like a daily 3-item gratitude list or 3–5 minutes of focused breathing), many people notice emotional shifts within 1–2 weeks and clearer behavioural changes in 3–6 weeks. The key is consistency, not intensity. The 2–4% shift principle guides this timeframe.
Can practicing gratitude actually change my brain and help me learn how to positive think?
Yes. Research in positive psychology shows that regular gratitude practice increases well-being, resilience, and motivation. Pairing gratitude with imagery and sensory detail amplifies these effects and makes the practice easier to repeat.
What’s the best way for busy parents and entrepreneurs to start learning how to positive think?
Start with a 2–4% shift: a two-minute morning routine (breath + gratitude), a midday grounding, and a quick evening reflection. Use anchors like making coffee or sitting in the car to create habit cues. Track small wins and delegate where possible to protect your energy.
Are there specific apps that help with learning how to positive think and with perinatal support?
Yes. Look for breathing apps with visual guides, meditation libraries (like Insight Timer), and mood trackers (like Daylio). If you’re in Canada and searching for positive psychology canada resources, check national perinatal organizations and reputable telehealth providers for region-specific support.
How do I stop comparing myself to others and still learn from peers?
Use bracketing: when comparison arises, mentally “put it in brackets” and refocus on your own metric or process. Switch from judgment to curiosity — ask, “What can I learn from them that would fit my style?” rather than “Why am I not there?” Cultivate community over comparison; connect with peers who share vulnerability and process, not just results.
Can I apply the 2–4% principle to business goals like launching a course or growing revenue?
Absolutely. Break large goals into tiny, repeatable actions that you can do consistently (e.g., 15 minutes of course creation, three outreach emails weekly). Small consistent actions compound into progress without overwhelming your system — that’s the essence of learning how to positive think while you grow a business.
I want to find a registered psychologist or perinatal specialist in Canada. Where do I look for trusted help within positive psychology Canada?
Start with regulated provincial psychology associations, perinatal excellence centres, and telehealth services that list registered professionals. Many positive psychology Canada providers offer both short courses and one-on-one support. If you’re in immediate distress, contact local health services or mental health hotlines for urgent help.
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00:00 Intro
3:30 Getting into psychology
7:30 The 4% shift
17:30 The psychology of gratitude
23:30 Playing the comparison game
29:00 Preparing for transitioning into motherhood and business
36:15 Resources for expecting parents
41:15 Learning from mistakes
51:00 Wrap up
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