How to stay positive

Sometimes I find that life can really get you down.  If you read the news, hear what is happening in parliament, watch our exchange rate, sit in traffic, have an argument with a friend, suffer a breakup or hate your job there are times that each one of these things or even a culmination of them can start affecting your outlook on life.  If you start feeling anxious, stressed or maybe even depressed it’s time to take a moment to yourself and reflect on your life as a whole.  Often I find that in a quiet moment to myself I am able to realign my thoughts and compartmentalise any issues and I feel so much better.   Today’s post is all about how to stay positive and live a full, happy life.  So happy, in fact, you might want to shout it out of your window so the whole world can hear.

Write Lists

So this tip is actually one that my dad taught me.  When you are feeling stressed and anxious set aside ten minutes (or better yet, half an hour) to write down everything that is making you feel that way.  It may be three things, it may be ten, but whatever the number is, be sure to write down every single thing that is bugging you.  Then once you have written them all down, go back to the top of the list and now think about ways in which you can deal with each one, individually.  Once things are isolated it’s easier to consider how you are going to approach them rather than feeling completely overwhelmed with everything all at once.  I promise you this method of managing stress has done wonders for me!

Workout

Whether you go for a run, walk your dog, do a spinning class at the gym or book a yoga session, by being active endorphins will be flowing through your veins and you will be feeling so good.  The only workout you will ever regret is the one that you didn’t do.  Even when your day is jam-packed with meetings, work and functions, try to incorporate something active into your day and it will completely change your mental space.  Some days I like to pound it out at the gym with my headphones in, ignoring the rest of the world and enjoying this time to myself.  Other days, when I’m feeling really stressed, a yoga class is just what I need.  The stretching and focus on breathing techniques is incredible for relaxation and relieving tension.  Listen to your body and what it wants.  The immediate effect of a workout is a wonderful one.  You will always leave a workout feeling much better than you did when you began.  Long-term, working out will also increase your positivity as you will start to notice changes in your body which will make you more confident, your breathing will be deeper which is so good for you and you will sleep better which brings me to my next point.

Sleep tight

When we are working on a tight schedule there is often not enough time in the day for a full eight hours of sleep.  If this is persistent you will feel like you are running on fumes and about to burn out.  Your productivity will decrease and as a result stress and tension will rise because you still need to get through the work.  To curb this it is important to have a good sleeping pattern.  Everyone is different but I find by going to bed early and waking up early I am far more productive, energetic and positive.  After having a good nights rest I feel rejuvenated, my skin glows and I can walk around with my head held high without trying to hide a puffy face and bags under my eyes.  To ensure a good night’s sleep I start winding down with a cup of tea (decaffeinated is best), start switching of my electronics an hour before bed and completing my night time skin care routine.  By the time I flop into bed I’m ready to turn off the lights and have a great sleep. 

Surround yourself with positive people

Choose your company wisely.  Some people tend to have a negative outlook on life and it can be contagious.  If you hear negativity all day, every day it can seep into your own psyche and effect your outlook on life too.  It is important to find the positive people in your life and gravitate towards them and use their positive energy to feed your own.  It is also important to spend time with people who love you.  No matter how busy your life becomes, it is essential that you carve out some time in your schedule to visit the people who have stuck by your side, seen you at your worst and still love you for it.  These people are your pillars of strength.  Everyone wants to feel loved so whether it is your friends or family, diarise some time with them.  No doubt you will have a couple great laughs, make some memories and leave feeling as though you are oozing with happiness.

Know when to walk away

I think it’s only natural to hold on to what we know, even when we know it’s no longer making us happy.  We have an instinctive fear of the unknown.  That fear often holds us back and prevents us from living life to the fullest.  Often we feel stuck in a rut in an unhealthy relationship because we fear being alone, what others might think or we are terrified of diving back into the dating world so we remain in an unhealthy relationship.  The same happens in the workplace.  We might hate our job or our boss but we remain unhappy at work because we are too scared to loose the security of an income or fear what else might be out there.  In my opinion if anyone is feeling unhappy that alone is enough reason to walk away.  Don’t be afraid of what else is out there.  Respect yourself enough to know that you deserve happiness and happiness will come to you if you take the leap and leave behind the baggage.  You will feel a settling inside of you that will bring you peace and excitement for an extraordinary new chapter in life.

Be proud of yourself

We tend to be our harshest critics.  It’s easy to be hard on yourself when you receive a test paper back that you wish you had done better on or receive comments from you boss on your latest report that are less than favourable.  Don’t waste too much energy beating yourself up about these things.  They are in the past.  Instead put your energy to good use ensuring that you learn from the experience and can do better next time.  When life starts to blur your vision of yourself simply remind yourself of how far you have come, what all you have been through, what all you have learnt and what your biggest achievements have been.  That will empower you and, you know what?  You should be proud of yourself.

I hope that this post on how to stay positive has injected some peace and happiness into your day.  There is a phrase in French that I love so much – “mange bien, ris souvent, aime beacoup” – and it means “eat well, laugh often and love fully”.  I think this phrase embodies the idea of living a full and wonderful life.  Life is often the happiest when we go back and focus on the simplest things in life so once in a while it is good to check in with these things and see what tweaks can be made to live a fuller life.  I know this post was something a little different from the usual content on my blog but sometimes a reminder to live a good life is more important than external beauty.  This post was for internal beauty so I hope you enjoyed it.  Thanks so much for reading!  Let me know how you like to stay positive in the comment section down below 🙂