18 Tips to help you stay positive
I remember when I was a little girl, every time I felt bad and cried, my mother gave me a hug and said to me “Be patient, be positive and remember that we learn to stand up only if we fall”. Now that I am a big girl, I have learned to fight and view things in life in a positive manner! The problem is that life is tough. From the second I set a goal, obstacles magically appear and the goal fills with challenges. It’s hard for me to stay positive when situations like these occur. The first thing that comes to my mind is “Why me?” or “ Not again!”. Then I try to accept it and think positively. How do I do it? Here are my tips on how to stay positive in life, especially when everything seems to be negative!
1. A walk in nature
Nature for me has always been a mind peacemaker. When the hardships come, I go to the beach. I take off my shoes and I walk on the beach. The moisture of the sand cools my feet and I feel like I am absorbing all the positive energy of the earth. The sea calms me down and lifts my mood. A walk in nature has been always beneficial to me.
2. Have a relaxation bath
On days when my stress is so high that I feel I am in the “red zone”, I can’t go to bed if I don’t have a soothing hot bath. I use some bath salts or some drops of lavender oil…a little treat for myself. The hot water in combination with salts relaxes me and stimulates my body and mind. I feel that the water melts away all the problems and the stress of the day.
3. Listen to music
When I am at home or in my office, I put some soft music on the radio, classical or jazz, because it keeps me calm. I believe that music can heal me! When I have an overdose of bad thoughts, I put on happy music very loud and I dance or sing. The rhythm of happy music makes my day! It works for me, why not try it?
4. Go for a run
Yesterday I had a very unpleasant conflict with my son, who is a teenager and I just wanted to run away…so I put on my running shoes, got out of my house, and started running like crazy. I don’t know if the release of endorphins or the fact that I was running like somebody was hunting me improved my mood, but running outdoors helped me a lot. I returned home relieved and with a clear mind, ready to be challenged again!
5. Be kind to yourself
When I come across difficulties and my mood is bad, I can become the worst judge of myself criticising me in the worst way. I “beat” myself down with no mercy…and then I think that I have to love me, support me and believe in me. I put my best smile on my face and I restart showing respect for myself. Positive behaviour towards yourself results in a positive mindset!
6. Be grateful
A good friend of mine told me that every night I should write down the things I was grateful for happening during the day. It is amazing how many things I am grateful for every day, even on my worst days. That little tip helps me stay focused on the positive side of life. I feel blessed and happy that I breathe, I can hear my heartbeat and see the sun every single day, three essential reasons to smile! Smile because you are alive!
7. Find the optimistic viewpoint
In my experience when I confront demanding cases I ask myself: what is the positive thing in this situation? Where is the opportunity in this situation? Some of my best ideas and solutions jumped out when I squeezed my head to find out “the light in the darkness of my mind”. Most of the time I need to rearrange my thoughts and feelings that emerge before I can do that. So, find the “light”!
8. Focus on your goals
Take a break and think about what your goals are. What do you want to achieve? What experiences do you want to gain? What kind of person do you want to be? What do you want to materialise in your life? Then start working on your goals, focus on taking small steps towards the correct destination and keep moving. Every time you succeed in those tiny small steps, you will feel content and positive.
9. Read inspirational articles
Am I the only one that feels sad when facing crises and dilemmas? Probably not. How do I face it? Sometimes I search on blogs and forums to read others’ posts and absorb positive energy knowing that I am not the only one with problems. I identify similar problems and sometimes through my post I gain support from others. That brings me back to my path of positive thinking.
10. Take a break
Stop thinking and stop doing anything. Take a break and take yourself out of misery. Get dressed, open the door and just do something fun, something to entertain yourself and laugh. Things are not as bad as you usually think. Rearrange, reenergise yourself and you will be on track again.
11. Meditate
Meditation is the key to many problems. People who meditate daily have a better mood, they sleep better and their stress levels are decreased. Meditation causes internal harmony that makes you see, focus and act better when life challenges appear.
12. Be surrounded by positive people
Try to eliminate people that bring negativity into your life and reevaluate why you choose those people to be in your life. It’s hard to break up with friends or partners, but toxic people influence our mood daily to the max without even knowing it. Focus on people who spread smiles and love, focus on people who encourage you to do your best.
13. Eliminate negative media
Quite often, social media project bad incidents and situations about the world we live and that can easily cause depression and anxiety. Try to stay offline for a while and choose where to focus your attention! I need to increase my energy levels with positive articles and videos, I need to know that good things are happening.
14. Smile, smile and smile again
There are way too many opportunities during the day to smile. Don’t waste them, use them! Smile to people you love, to people you work with, to people that will serve you. Smiling is the medicine for our souls, it is the tenderness our hearts need.
15. Give plenty of hugs
Recently, I read a research on the benefits of hugging. Hugging is a very comforting and communicative type of touch that cures us. Hugs protect our heart, boost our health, reduce stress, and makes us happy. When we are happy our positive energy is on top. So why not try hugging a person you love for at least 20 seconds every day?
16. Help Others
Helping others brings joy to us! You can appreciate the good in your life when you try to service those who are not as fortunate as you are. Put on a big smile and give your best to help people and all the love you give will return to you. When you give positivity to the people around you, you will get positivity in return.
17. Exercise, eat and sleep well
This is my trilogy of successully staying positive. I run to the gym when I feel depressed because exercise takes off my bad thoughts. I try to have healthy eating habits and never an empty stomach. I try to sleep well and maybe have a nap during the day to refill my energy batteries. When the needs of my body and mind are fulfilled, I know that my primary needs are accomplished and I feel energetic and powered.
18. Accept and proceed
To be able to accept a situation is sometimes by far the hardest thing for me sometimes…maybe most of the time. When I finally manage to do so, I make peace with all my negative thoughts. It is like pushing a button and restarting myself. I open myself to the changes in my life, whether good or bad, accept them, and do my best. Acceptance is a huge step towards being positive!!!
We only live once, so make it count!!! Always try to act and think positively and the universe will send you this energy back!
