by Katrina Hatchett
Contributing Author, Conscious Reminder
Sometimes in life you can feel like there’s no way to be positive. Situations arise which seem so filled with negativity that being happy anyway isn’t a possibility.
Most of the time this actually isn’t true, and if you can find a way to beat the doom and gloom you can end up looking back on the events as a small blip. You may even learn something for future hardships.
Here are ten strategies for finding the silver lining and recapturing that positive outlook.
1. Remind Yourself That It Will Be Alright In The End
It may be a bit of a cliché, but human beings are remarkably resilient creatures. We’re capable of enduring the harshest of situations and moving forward afterwards. Some problems can seem unconquerable but always try and remember that a time will come when you’ll look back on the events as a distant memory.
2. Be Ok With Your Unhappiness
Acceptance of difficulties can be the first step towards overcoming them. Acknowledge that you’re having a hard time and remind yourself that that’s ok. It’s ok for you to struggle sometimes and, as the old saying goes, you can’t have the good without the bad. As soon as you’ve accepted the negativity in your life, you can begin to go about solving it with a clear head.
3. Talk To Someone
Sometimes talking about a problem can be the last thing you want to do, especially if you’re an introvert. But having a good conversation with someone about what your going through can help you to feel less isolated in your unhappiness and more like you have the resources to overcome the situation. Sharing the burden also lightens the burden, so having a conversation with a loved one, a friend or even a therapist can help you to keep positive and focused in overcoming your struggle.
4. Pretend To Be Happy
Whilst it’s unhealthy to ignore or suppress your problems, choosing to actively combat negativity in your life by acting positive can be quite effective. “It’s a famous piece of psychology that the act of smiling, no matter how forced, actually releases endorphins. If you apply this to all aspects of your being you might see that, by playing the part your problems begin to fade away,” says Gabrielle J. Williamson, a health blogger from 1 Day 2 Write and Britstudent.
5. Treat Yourself
Think of something which make you happiest in life, whether that be a comforting bowl of ice cream or binging your favourite series, and then indulge in it! When there’s a difficult situation in your life, allowing yourself some creature comforts can go a long way to lifting your mood.
6. Spread Positivity To Others
It’s a bit counterintuitive but helping to lift the spirits of others can help you to find positivity in your own life. Volunteer at a shelter or help a friend through their own crisis. You could very well find that having other people finding positivity in you can be the key to unlocking your own positive outlook.
7. Be Healthy
Getting enough sleep, exercising your body and eating (mostly) the right foods are important normally, but are crucial when you’re feeling down. Exercise releases endorphins, whilst the benefits of a good night’s sleep are both intuitive and scientific. Eating too much sugary, sweet, unhealthy foods can also lead to crashes that leave you thoroughly down in the dumps.
8. Realize How Much You Have To Be Thankful For
If you really stop and take stock of your life you might see how much there is to be happy about. The busy world we live in can sometimes make us forget how much is going right in our lives. “Taking that pause to value what you do have can make any problems seem insignificant in the scheme of things,” recommends Steven J. Hernandez, an editor from Australia2Write and Write My X.
9. See The Bigger Picture
In 10 years will you even remember what it was that you were upset by? Maybe, maybe not. Either way remembering that you will go on to surpass this problem and look back from a distance is important when trying to be positive.
10. Find the Good in the Bad
For every bad thing you can list in your life follow it up by a good thing. Realise that just because something seems bad at the time, that doesn’t mean that something good won’t come out of it. Train yourself to see the possibilities and to embrace the uncertainty of every situation.
Katrina Hatchett is a business analyst at Academic Brits and Origin Writings. She has been involved in various business projects, where her main aim is to define project problems and propose solutions, as well as improving overall communication effectiveness.
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