Staying positive especially in tough times can be very difficult.
We’ve all received this well-meaning advice to ‘stay positive’ but the greater the challenge the more this advice comes across as unrealistic.
The human brain has somehow hard-wired to focus on threats, this is actually a means of survival. With this in our brains, we tend to push and focus on the negativity around us and the more we focus on looking out for threats, the more we tend to find one.
To maintain positivity, it requires daily attention and focus. You must be intentional in staying positive if you wish to overcome this brain tendency to focus on threats.
In this article I’d like to share 8 of the best, smartest and most effective habits for staying positive in difficult times, which has worked for me for over a decade now.
I hope you find something helpful here:
1 Take A Step Back From Your Problem
The best way to regain positive view of life is to take a breather from whatever it is that brings negativity around you.
Regardless of what the problem you’re experiencing reacting to adverse situations usually compounds the problem rather than make it better.
2 Ask Yourself If This Will Matter Days, Months or Years After
Sometimes things seem very crucial at the moment, but might be insignificant after few days-months-years after.
3 Focus On Your Goals
When life throws you a curve ball, it is easy to lose focus of your goals. If you find yourself in such situation, take time and meditate on the overall goals you have for your life.
Be like the race car driver who regardless of what’s happening in the track with their competitors, they still focus and finish the race.
4 Try The Gratitude Challenge
Start writing down everything you have to be grateful for (health, family, wealth e.t.c). Be detailed about it. You will be stormed of how much you have, it will also change your focus from what you don’t have to what you do have.
Gratitude changes your perception, your perception changes your existence.
5 Volunteer
Volunteering is an amazing way to change your entire perspective. Research has shown that giving to others is one of the quickest routes towards happiness. While happiness and positivity are different, they’re correlated.
6 Stay Around Positive People
Positive ideas can get you back on track and being around optimistic people is a great place to get positive ideas.
Stay round family member or a friend who you know will encourage you when you feel depressed.
7 Practice Radical Acceptance
This is by letting go the illusion of control and willingness to notice and accept things as they are right now without judging.
Recognizing that some things in life cannot be controlled, acknowledging that pain is inevitable; but it does pass.
8 Exercise
Exercise is the most efficient way to improve your mood, sharpen your focus and increase your energy.
It is unproductive to worry yourself or be anxious about events or people that you can do absolutely nothing about. By having anxiety over something that is truly out of your hands affects you mental and physical health. So take some time out and sweat it all out at the gym.
It’s easy to get carried away with anxiety, judgments and the racket in your head, but if you take a moment to look at things as they really are and radically accept the reality, you will stumble into an expected freedom and peace of both body, mind and soul.