I consider myself a very positive person. I’m the kind of person who can take bad news, a shit day, a poor investment of time/money and say “Oh well, that was no good, now what’s next?” and move on. I cannot see the point in dwelling on things that cannot be fixed and certainly couldn’t have been prevented. In fact, I tend not to dwell on the silly things I do or see people do, which I could have easily prevented and say “oops” and sometimes even laugh about it. Why? Because negativity doesn’t help anyone ever. Negativity feeds negative thoughts and actions, so by being pessimistic and dwelling on whatever managed to ruin your day, you’re just adding fuel to the fire and will inevitably make things worse for yourself.
Of course one can’t expect to remain positive all the time, we’re all prone to negative thoughts and feelings when things become a bit much. After all, we’re only human. I’ve always regarded people who are constantly upbeat, positive and peppy with suspicion! But adding more positivity into your life, even when doing so is just about the last thing on your mind, can work wonders for you. In the short term, it improves your mood. Which in turn can help brighten someone elses day, and start a magnificent chain-reaction to all those around you. In the long term it’s good for your health. We all know the saying “laughter is the best medicine”, and it is so very true. There have been so many stories of people who have defeated terrible diseases like cancer just being staying positive and laughing as much as possible. Imagine what it could do to a perfectly healthy person!
I’m not proclaiming myself the Queen of Positive Thinking but I do know a bit about how to forget the rotten stuff and focus on the things that make you feel good and can lift you mood:
- Think of how much worse things could be. Yes this is something our mum’s would say and we’d roll out eyes about, but it’s true. You car broke down? Better than having a nasty car accident, or not having a car at all, right? You didn’t get the job you were hoping for? maybe that means an even better job opportunity is around the corner!
- When everything seems to be turning itself shit, think about the things in life that make you happy. Nothing to do with what’s upsetting you right now, just the little things that always seem to cheer you up when you’re down. A favourite of mine is to go on walks with my mum and appreciate nature. The sound of birds chirping and watching them build nests. Seeing a magnificent flower that’s just bloomed. These sorts of things always bring me back down to earth and help me remember how wonderful life is despite beyond you’re little square.
- When life is bringing you down, do something you love to do, no matter how selfish. Go out with the girls/boys and get drunk and dancing, damn the fact you have to work tomorrow. Listen to your favourite songs, all in a row, and sing them loud and proud. Re=read your favourite book/s and remind yourself of why the mean so much to you. Take a bath with 50 bath bombs and a bottle of champagne and get all wrinkled up as the water turns cold. Talk to someone who never ceases to make you laugh, inspire you and make you feel good (we all have a friend like this). Just do what makes you happy and forget about what’s bothering you, even for a minute.
- Be healthy! If you’re always feeling down-and-out, tired and miserable it could be physical. particularly if it’s not normal for you. This may not sound like fun, but eating healthy, delicious food and getting exercise works wonders for everyone. Sometimes negative or unwell/unhappy feelings are your body’s way of saying “I need some love and attention!” which is exactly what you need to give it. Never underestimate the power of a big, healthy salad and a long bike ride or gym session.
- Visit your mum or someone similar. I love my mum to death, and even if she sometimes drives me mad, being with her always takes me back to being a kid, whether it’s through reminiscing or just mucking around together and cheers me up immensely every time. If you live near your mum (or dad, or whoever made growing up awesome) go visit them as much as possible, just involve them in your life. It will help you both immeasurably.
- Surround yourself with other positive people. God knows I’ve been through this one too many times. having negative people around you will make you negative too. Maybe their chronic liars or attention seekers (or as my boyfriend calls them, “energy vampires”), these negative people will suck all positive thoughts from you and turn you into one of them. Don’t let that happen under any circumstances! Either cut your losses and find more positive friends, or else take it upon yourself to help spread the love and positive vibes. This will either be a tremendous success, or a dismal failure. Either way, don’t ever give in and never take their negativity to heart.
The most important lesson is to laugh lots and enjoy life. No, life wasn’t meant to be easy, but it’s not really that hard either. Think of what you have and those you love and never give in to negativity!
peaceful