Life is filled with curveballs that are thrown our way. Sometimes, the challenges appear insurmountable, and trying to keep a positive outlook is just about impossible. Yet, according to emotional stability and resilience, the ability to be positive during times of trouble is of critical importance. A positive mind does not bypass the difficulties one needs to go through in life but rather shows the ability to make decisions on focusing one’s outlook upon possibilities and growth from adverse situations.
Kristen Butler writes in “Here’s the Key to Staying Positive” that even in those particular moments when life becomes so tough, our mindset can become a real lifesaver. It is indeed when you have a positive attitude that you can stand tall, hopeful, and unbreakable in times of hardship. How do you continue being positive when this world gets really tough? Here are five key ways to nurture positivity no matter what comes your way.
1. Focus on What You Can Control
Some days, it may seem like life is spiraling out of control, and in such instances, you are left to face the mercy of events beyond your control. And this instills feelings of helplessness, anxiety, and frustration. Yet, probably one of the most powerful ways to regain your poise is to revisit what lies within your control. By focusing your attention on things that are within your control-your attitude, your actions, your perspective-you are, even in the most desperate of moments, allowing yourself to make positive changes.
Why It’s Important:
Obviously, attempting to control what is beyond your control only increases stress and frustration. Focusing on what you can control helps not only to reduce feelings of helplessness but also promotes a sense of agency and empowerment. By channeling your energy to areas where you can make a difference, you foster a mindset that encourages positive action, rather than despair.
Action Step:
List what you can control: your time, how you react to whatever happens, or how you take care of yourself. For instance, when health issues are beyond your control, you can manage your stress levels, follow doctor’s orders, and live a healthy lifestyle. Focus on these areas and let go of the things you can’t change.
Bonus Tip: Every time you feel overwhelmed, reflect on this list. It could remind you about your ‘circles of control’ to help you feel centered and give you back a sense of focus.
2. Engage in Gratitude at Least Once a Day
Gratitude is a powerful antidote to negativity. When life becomes overwhelming, it is very easy to get hung up on what is going wrong and forget about what is going right with life. On the other hand, gratitude helps shift the perspective. No matter how bleak things may be, there is always something to be thankful for, whether it be the support of a loved one, the sun shining, or even the simple pleasures of a good meal.
Why Gratitude Matters:
Gratitude rewires your brain to always think of the good side of life, rather than bad thoughts. As a matter of fact, scientific studies have proved that people who practice gratitude exhibit better mental health, as well as more happiness, which helps reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. In this respect, by acknowledging what’s good in your life on a regular basis, you can develop an optimistic mindset even in really testing times.
Action Step:
Write down things you are grateful for in a gratitude journal. Jot down at least three things you are thankful for each day-no matter how minute. Whenever one day seems to be going really well, this would help the mind search for the light in the darkness of life. Examples may be a good conversation with a friend, a little period of quiet time in your day, or having faced and overcome some small challenge. Writing it down reinforces the positive impact of gratitude in your life.
Bonus Tip: Make the practice of writing in a gratitude journal one in which you also practice gratitude by letting others know how you feel. Whether it be thanking a coworker for their hard work, thanking a friend or family member for being present at an important life event, or even the smallest of reasons-expressing gratitude nurtures the relationships and uplifts not just you, but the people within your life as well.
3. Surround Yourself with Positive Influences
It is often said that the company you keep and the environment you put yourself in have a great deal of impact on your mindset. While life itself might be hard, it can be more demeaning to be in the company of others who contribute to you feeling down, instead of encouraging you upward. The exact opposite happens anytime one is surrounded by positive, encouraging people, which will help anyone keep an attitude of hope-knowing there are better days ahead.
Why Your Environment Matters:
People around you can either bring you up or bring you down. It’s not easy to be positive every day if negativity surrounds you. On the other hand, with the help of positive influences through friendships, family, or a mentor, it can indeed help inspire one in brightening one’s outlook in life and to stay motivated through hard times.
Your physical environment also conditions your mind. Cluttered and messy environments can contribute to feelings of stress and anxiety, and clean, organized environments support feelings of calm and focus.
Action Step:
Take time to inventory those who surround you. Are most of the people you invest the most time in positive, supportive, and encouraging? If not, limit the amount of time you spend with those that bring negativity into your life and seek people out who encourage and inspire you. This can be in the form of joining a supportive community group, finding a mentor, or merely spending time with friends that exude positivity.
Next, look at your physical space. Create small shifts in establishing a space that is more calm and positive: clear out any clutter from the house, bring in some greenery, or place things around you that make you feel great.
Bonus Tip: Add in positive media. Listen to positive podcasts, watch videos that inspire you, or read books about how to build positivity and resiliency.
4. Focus On One Day At A Time
It’s during these stressful times that one can very easily work up a lot of anxiety concerning the future. You can find yourself saying, “What am I going to do next week? What am I going to do next month? What am I going to do next year?” Oftentimes with this type of forward thinking comes a great deal of unnecessary stress and anxiety. When times are hard, the key is to stay positive by keeping your mind and heart focused on the present-one day at a time, one hour at a time if necessary.
Why it works: The minute you center yourself in the present, that overwhelming feeling trying to manage everything at once becomes reduced. You allow yourself to focus on the day step by step, which doesn’t permit anxiety to spiral out of control. Besides, with those small wins and progress you are making, that can be a great motivator in times of challenges.
Action Step:
Divide a huge job or situation into smaller, more manageable pieces. For example, if one is dealing with a very stressful project, rather than being troubled with the entire project, let them be concerned with one task at a time. Give recognition for each minor accomplishment, however minor it may be, by completion of a task or surviving just another hour of the day.
If you’re having a really rotten day, give yourself permission to take it minute by minute. Sometimes it helps to focus on what needs to be done in the coming hour without really dwelling on what else lies ahead.
Bonus Tip: Practice some mindfulness exercises, like deep breathing or meditation, wherein you are focused on the moment. This will cut down on anxiety and enable you to sail through difficult situations without losing your calm.
5. Go Easy with Yourself
You will find at those times that it is so easy to embrace self-criticism. Probably, you are not doing enough, or perhaps you need to handle things better. But such self-criticism only perpetuates stress and makes it even more difficult to maintain a positive attitude. It is, therefore, of essence to practice self-compassion as you intend to keep a positive mindset through a tough period in life.
Why Self-Compassion Matters:
Self-compassion opens up avenues to treat oneself with kindness and also to understand the self, especially when things are going wrong. That means you can allow yourself to make mistakes and recognize it’s okay to have tough moments. Going easy on oneself opens up spaces for growth and resilience and surely positive thinking.
Action Step:
Every time you catch your inner voice being too critical, take a minute to correct yourself. Ask yourself, “Would I say this to a friend who was going through the same thing?” If not, then it is time to revise your internal dialogue. Speak to yourself with kindness: You are doing the best you can in a difficult situation.
Take good care of yourself, too. Perhaps take your time to rest or do something that helps you be in a good mood. Give yourself permission to take a time-out. Taking care of oneself is never selfish; it’s one of the most important things to handle with regard to mental and emotional health.
Bonus Tip: Create a self-compassion mantra to motivate yourself through difficult times. Examples include, “I’m doing my best and that is good enough,” or, “It’s okay to have a bad day-tomorrow is a new chance.”
Conclusion: Positivity is a Choice
A positive attitude in everyday life’s battles doesn’t necessarily mean turning a blind eye to some brutal realities. It is something that pertains to attitude or an option that you may well avail yourself of when facing life’s harsh realities. You can do this by paying attention to what you can control, by being grateful, putting yourself around positive things, taking life one step at a time, and easy with yourself.
Positivity is a choice, and it’s one you can make no matter how tough life gets. Driven by these five keys, you will be better prepared to maintain a positive attitude and find strength during any rough time in your life.