Staying Positive and Focused during tough times

No matter whom we are or how good our lives are, at some point we will face adversity and trials. One of the things I have learned over the last few years is to work on consciously improving my outlook on life.

With this I have developed an attitude that over time has become increasingly stable so that I can look at the world in a positive way during good days, but more importantly, I am better at staying positive and productive even during tough times.

A simple but most effective way to build a more positive outlook has, in my experience, been to ask helpful questions. I have learned to find the optimistic viewpoint in negative situations. When I am in what seems like a negative situation, I ask myself; what is one thing that is positive or good about this situation? And what is one opportunity within this situation?

I have taken steps to cultivate a positive environment for myself. I make active choices on who I spend time with. They say you are the sum of the 5 people that you spend most time with. To stay positive it is essential to have influences in your life that support you and lift you up instead of dragging you down. I call them energizers and drainers.

Ask yourself; who are the 3 most negative people I spend time with? Consider how you can start spending less time with one of those negative people and how you can spend more time with positive people in your life.

It’s very easy to lose perspective and make problems seems bigger than they are, especially if you are stressed. A simple way to handle these situations so they don’t get out of hand is to: Breathe. If you have negative thoughts just stop sit, down and just be still. Breathe in from your nose and exhale from your nose. Focus on just your in-breaths and out-breaths for a minute or two to calm your mind and body down. Refocus. Ask yourself: Will this matter in 5 years? Or even 5 weeks?

Exercising regularly, eating and sleeping well helps to increase levels of positivity. I know this is very obvious, but many people still don’t do it. I highly recommend being mindful of these basic habits that may sound boring, but they do have a massive effect either way depending on how you manage them.

Start your day in a positive way. How you start your day usually sets the tone for the rest of your day. Maybe start your day by having an uplifting conversation with your family or friend or you spend some time with reading or listening to inspiring you tube videos over breakfast or on your way to work.

Mindfully move through your day. When you spend your time in the present moment then it becomes so much easier to access positive emotions and to stay practical about what you can actually do about something in your life. When you get lost in the past or future like so many of us have spent a lot of time on doing, then worries very easily become bigger. And failures and mistakes from the past being replayed over and over in your mind drag you down into negativity.