You may be in a tough season of your life. Are you finding it difficult to look ahead? Is staying positive hard to do, especially when everything around you feels like it’s falling apart? Are You Lacking Optimism? How To Shift Your Mindset Right Now – I share my experiences in order to help & encourage you to be optimistic…
Toxic Positivity
Toxic positivity is a belief that no matter what someone is experiencing emotionally – they must push past it and only feel positive about the situation.
It is harmful to block emotions and move straight to the positive, without fully digesting the progression of how we feel and why we are feeling it.
It is important to sit with these emotions.
Forcing positivity will not make you positive. It may feel like you are positive, but if you have been upset in your life, it could come back later down the line if you have not processed it properly.
There have been accusations of toxic positivity doing the rounds on the internet. I haven’t come across any personally, but I know it’s an issue for some. It’s impossible to be positive all the time, we are human – it’s part of being human that we experience a whole plethera of emotions.
If you happen to already be a positive person at the core, then this can help when sudden circumstances may befall on you, pushing you to a negative mentality. Keeping the mind positive is difficult, but allowing yourself to feel is ultimately the most important thing here. Once you can digest what you need to, it’s up to you how you want to react to the world and how you want to live moving forward.
Don’t worry, be happy
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don’t worry, be happy
Robert Jr. McFerrin
Are You Lacking Optimism? How To Shift Your Mindset Right Now
Sit With Your Feelings
Do what you need to get through – veg out on the couch, sleep in, slow down, wallow in it.
Give yourself permission to be in this space, but do acknowledge that this won’t be forever, this is just for a short time in the scheme of things. By allowing this, it will help you to feel in control.
Remove Negativity – You Don’t Need It Anymore
Remove negative self talk – what is your personal narrative? Do you have a way of talking to yourself, that you project a story on yourself?
The next time you hear this negative self talk, listen to this voice. What is it saying? Where did it come from?
As well as looking at your own negativity, look at what surrounds you – it may be dragging you down. Remove the negative today – switch off the news and maybe lay off phoning any negative friends.
You Have The Power To Be Happy
You are not the victim. Take control of your life. Things will come up, but it’s how you encounter the tough times: How do you want to react to these?
I lost both my parents within a short time, and I am grieving and I know a part of me will always grieve. I let myself feel and it was painful. So painful I wanted to just run away from my emotions. But for a time I sat with the anger and hurt I felt.
I consoled myself that this didn’t happen to only me, people go through these experiences every day and I am lucky for what I have now in my life. Everyone dies, and it’s important that I make the most of the time I have left on earth. I don’t know how long I have, and living is not solely about making money, buying a house and a nice car. It’s about the small things that bring joy and memories that stay with you.
I let myself feel the pain, but I choose to look at the every day moments – the moments that the old me would have taken for granted.
Give Thanks
Now I relish these and say “thank you”
Thank you. I am looking up at the blue sky, seeing the fluffy white clouds pass by with speed. Hearing birds call to one another as my toddler plays with sticks and stones beside me.
Thank you – That I’m in a woodland, smelling the glorious freshness of trees all around me.
Thank you for letting me experience this with love in my heart.
(I felt this way just this morning, and said the words to myself as I reflected on what I was looking at.)
Be in the moment and take time to be mindful rather than always thinking about what you want or what you wish you had.
Write down three things you are grateful for today.
Start Today
What will make you happier right now? What do you have right now that you are excited about?
It doesn’t need to be anything big – just something that lights you up inside..even a little bit. Take a drive to the nearest beach and look at the waves – Call up a friend for a spontaneous coffee date – Put on your favourite dress and take it out for a walk down your nearest street – Cuddle up with your cat and write a letter to someone special.
The options are endless. What do you want to do?
Thought For The Road Ahead
“Happiness is a choice. You can actually achieve it and there is a method to make it happen. Happiness is not a coincidence, it is not given to you by life, it’s entirely our responsibility.”
Mo Gawdat
Happiness will never come from getting that job, breaking up with that partner, having a baby…whatever it is you think it’s in. Happiness is being happy in what you have right now, choosing to be happy is in all of us. Do things that give you joy. Once you achieve that, your life will be a wonderful adventure.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Have you needed to shift your mindset? Are you a naturally optimistic person? I would love to hear from you? Comment below and let me know..
If you enjoyed this, have a look at my previous posts such as – Letting go of my old self to embrace who I am now
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