5 Surprising Ways to Stay Positive When Life Feels Tough

1. Practice Gratitude

Gratitude involves showing appreciation for the things in life that are meaningful or valuable to you. Taking a moment to notice and acknowledge the things you’re grateful for each day can brighten your outlook, boost your mood increase the levels of dopamine and serotonin in your brain, which can lead to feelings of contentment, joy, excitement, pride and help you feel more positive in the face of challenges. Try to focus on what you have instead of what's lacking.

Cultivating gratitude isn’t a complicated endeavor, but it does require effort and a commitment to change. The following practices can help you take on a grateful outlook, especially if you’re dealing with roadblocks such as depression, stress or envy. Keeping a gratitude journal/ jar to write down things you are thankful for will help focus on the positive aspects of life, revisiting and reframing past events, practicing mindfulness through meditation, and spending time with nature to help you stay focused and on the positive side. Try to focus on what you have instead of what's lacking.

It's never too late to start. It takes a bit of work but having an attitude of gratitude is one of the healthiest habits for cultivating a fulfilling and happy life, fostering optimism and improving overall mental health.

2. Practice Positive Self-Talk.

Self-talk is the internal dialogue you hold about yourself which can be negative or positive, encouraging or distressing. Positive self-talk and thinking can be effective stress management ways. Indeed, having a more positive outlook on life can actually have a much bigger influence on the way we see ourselves, and the world around us than we realize.

If you believe your self-talk is way too negative or if you want to emphasize positive self-talk, you can learn to shift that inner dialogue. It can help you be a more positive person and may improve your overall mental health. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you.

The following are some examples of negative self-talk and ways to twist them through positive thinking.

                Negative self- talk                                                                          Positive thinking

• I don’t know how to do this.                                          It’s an opportunity to learn something new.

• There’s no way it will work                                            I can do anything I focus on and commit to.

• I don’t have the resources.                                           Necessity is the mother of in.

• It’s too complicated.                                                      I can tackle it from a different angle.

• I am a failure                                                                 I am Intelligent 

If you tend to have a negative outlook, don't expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually, your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance contributing to high self-confidence and resilience, more achievements, and when problems arise, you find workarounds.

3. Positive Affirmations.

Positive affirmations or mantras are empowering statements that can help you start your day with a positive mindset. They are carefully formulated statements that should be repeated to one's self and written down frequently. For affirmations to be effective, they need to be in the present tense, positive, personal, and specific. A positive mental attitude supported by affirmations will help achieve success in anything; lower stress and anxiety levels, enhance overall well-being and activate the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, an area associated with self-related processing and valuation.

Positive morning affirmations are one of your best allies when creating the life you want. You can say those positive morning affirmations as soon as you wake up or before bed, in front of a mirror, write them down or create alarms on your phone with them so you can declare them during the day.

Here are some examples of positive affirmations you can use in the morning for an optimistic day:

"I accept myself for who I am" 

"I am proud of myself and will continue to strive to do well" 

"Today is a fresh start" 

"I am excited to achieve amazing things today" 

"I am calm, focused and collected in everything I do" 

"I can achieve my goals by focusing on one task at a time" 

"I am grateful for the peace I have right now" 

"I am capable, strong, and ready to take on the day”

If you are having difficulty believing in your positive morning affirmations, try adapting them to be believable at this stage. For example, if it’s hard for you to believe when you say, “I am abundant in all areas of life,” try adjusting to “I am becoming abundant in all areas of life.”

4. Practice Healthy Habits

Engaging in activities that boost your physical and mental well-being like going for a walk, participating in the gym, and getting enough sleep helps in the release of the feel-good hormones (endorphins) in your brain, this culminates in a clear mind free from daily worries and a positive day full of positivity and a feeling of achievement.

Be active for at least 30 minutes daily, whether that’s running, walking, yoga, dancing, cycling, or even gardening. Eat a balanced and healthy diet. Make sure to get enough sleep and most importantly stay hydrated. Physical activities are ways of meditation in motion. After a fast-paced game of racquetball, a long walk or run, or several laps in the pool, you may often find that you've forgotten the day's irritations and concentrated only on your body's movements.

As you begin to regularly shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity, you may find that this focus on a single task, and the resulting energy and optimism, can help you stay calm, clear and focused in everything you do.

In the event of looking for a favorable activity, choose the one you enjoy, make it part of your regular routine and start in short bursts. Even brief bouts of physical activity offer benefits.

5.  Celebrate Progress

Celebrating your wins in life, big or small, is more than self-congratulation. We often move from one goal to another without reflecting on our achievements. We disregard the importance of honoring our wins. Celebrating wins keeps you happy, confident, and motivated, preventing exhaustion and ensuring a journey filled with success milestones. Celebrating your wins is a secret weapon to boost your soul towards greater achievements.

A positive mindset attracts prosperity, opens doors, and helps you navigate rough patches gracefully. It’s a way to propel one to pursue greater achievements through the momentum effect.

“Acknowledging the small wins leads to big successes. Celebrate them all.” – Donna Moritz

The following are simple ways to celebrate your small wins: buy yourself a gift, go for a walk in the park, cake cutting, enjoy a tasty lunch to celebrate small wins, and buying yourself some flowers.

If you want to maintain your drive while pursuing your goals, you must learn how to appreciate small victories. Celebrate these minor achievements consistently, and you will be more likely to maintain a positive outlook on life.

 

5. Conclusion 
 

Positivity is a state of mind. It’s a choice you make. You need to commit to being positive. Having a positive outlook won’t eradicate negativity but you will become more tuned to spotting when negative thoughts are creeping into your mind. You then want to dispel them quickly. Positive people are simply less tolerant of negativity, not free of it.

Positivity doesn't mean that you ignore life's less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach unpleasantness more positively and productively. You anticipate for the best not the worst.

Mesha M. Founder

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