Life is full of ups and downs. Some days are spent laughing with friends, whereas bad events on other days may seem like it’s the end of the world. It’s completely normal to not go through life having a smile permanently plastered on your face. However, enduring the bad days and negativity should not become your norm.
Negative thoughts and experiences can spiral into other problems, many of which can affect your health. This includes living in stress and anxiety as a result of the events that you are letting shape your life. Nobody wakes up in the morning and thinks to themselves, ‘I hope today is awful.’ There are activities you can pursue and people you can spend your time with that will change the course of your day. You can’t control events you experience or what some people will say, but you can control how you react and what you do. Here are a few tips on how to deal with negativity in your life.
Do what makes you happy
Most people want to live their best and thus happy lives. Although certain events are out of your control, your reaction and what you do next is up to you. To clarify something right away, you don’t need to be rich to do what makes you happy. In fact, there are many free activities that can make you happy. Pick up a hobby; garden, paint, write or listen to an upbeat song. If you engage in activities that make you happy, your mood will drastically improve and you can even help reduce stress in your life. Happy people are more likely to succeed, given that they can focus on their job or task when their mind isn’t preoccupied with negative thoughts. Your moods will either motivate you or lead you to stay indoors all day caught up in toxic thoughts. If you are in constant turmoil with your thoughts, practice meditation to find your inner peace. Think of it this way; life is too short to get caught up in negativity.
Surround yourself with good people
Positivity attracts positivity, though sometimes this rule changes its course. The family and friends you spend your time with help shape you. Think about what kind of people you spend your time with. Do your loved ones encourage you and wish the best for you? Or, do you spend your time with people that are a negative influence and put you down? Surrounding yourself with good people will affect the type of life you lead and even the way you think. If you can’t work out a bad relationship and things don’t improve, there is no reason to stress yourself out continuously.
Setting goals
Setting goals for yourself can improve your life. It can include either work goals or personal goals; regardless of the type, they will have an impact on you. In fact, they can help motivate you. If you are in a rut and nothing seems to go your way, write down on a piece of paper what you hope to achieve. Make sure they are realistic and start pursuing them. Goals can help give you a purpose, and this purpose can give your life direction. This factor is intrinsically linked with your mindset, as you must also master a positive mind to pursue the goals in the first place. In order to achieve success and avoid negative thoughts, you must have the determination to pursue your goals and want to make a change. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. You won’t change your life overnight, but you can with time and determination.
Move past negative events
A negative event is bound to affect you. However, that same event should not affect you to the same degree a year or even months or weeks later. Living in the past will not help you in any way, nor can you change what happened. You can merely accept it and move on. Learning to live in the moment is yet another way of dealing with negativity. You must find that perfect balance of living in the moment, thinking about the future and remembering the past but not living in it. Accept that negative emotions and experiences are temporary. If you don’t get along with your coworkers, don’t take it personally and move on with your life. Do not get caught up in in a whirlwind of pessimism, as it will not help you in any way. You will only damage your mental well-being if you don’t pursue other thoughts.
Get help
If you can’t deal with negativity on your own, get advice or help. If you are incredibly stressed at work and don’t know what to do, pick up the phone and call your best friend. Having someone there to listen to you will greatly affect your situation. Sometimes you need an extra perspective on the situation, just make sure you trust the person to give you the best advice. If you have an alcohol or drug addiction, you can seek professional help such as those at Recovery In Motion. There are treatment programs whose sole purpose is to help you get better and on your feet again, living your best life.
Bad situations happen, but they shouldn’t shape your life. In order to take control of your life, you need to practice controlling your thoughts. In the same way, you must engage in activities that will make you smile. To defend yourself against negativity, you simply must adopt certain habits. Your mind may want to spend an entire day thinking about what that person on the street shouted at you about. Don’t let it. Wake up in the morning and put on an upbeat song. Go out for lunch with a friend or coworker and order something you enjoy. Sing in the shower if that makes you happy. The list can go on and on. Take care of your wellbeing not only for your mood but also for the sake of your health.
