4 Ways to Stay Positive During Difficult Times
Life may be more difficult than you ever imagined it could be — no matter how accomplished, intelligent, or well-supported you are. Here’s how to maintain your good attitude even on your darkest days, how to make your life more important, and how to be joyful even when you’re feeling down, weary, and droopy.
A fresh and enhanced version of one of my most popular blog entries, Easy Ways to Stop Worrying About the Future, was intended for publication in this article. However, when I began seeking for specific advice on how to get through difficult times in life, all I came across were mediocre “how to remain optimistic” pieces.
That started me thinking about why individuals need to learn how to be optimistic in the first place. I understand that it’s because life is difficult in so many different ways…but there are only a few ways to be optimistic about it.
A blend of practical action actions and life-changing strategies, these recommendations for bringing more positivity into your life will help you to experience more pleasure and tranquility in your daily life.
The purpose of these exercises is not to make you feel better, to link you with the cosmos, or to uncover some obscure little secret. Instead, these suggestions are intended to assist you in discovering the truth and holding to it with all of your hands and feet.
1. Create a “Link of Love” between two people.
At the age of 47, I re-read 12 Creative Ways to Celebrate and Honor Your 40th Birthday, which was published in 2007. Then I understood that all of those suggestions were geared around getting rather than giving. As a result, I planned to spend my 47th birthday doing something that would include a Link of Love organization.
I took my husband and her 9-year-old kid to dinner at Deep Cove’s favorite neighborhood pub (the Raven, much like in Poe’s tale), which is also my favorite place to hang out with friends. We ate pizza and burgers and colored little pieces of paper as part of our activities. Each piece of paper has a different word written on it, such as “Faith,” “Hope,” “Love,” and “Joy,” among others.
Mini chocolate bars and small packs of chips were among the delicacies that I had in mind for these phrases to go around. My plan was to stroll from the Raven Pub to Bea’s home for birthday cake and ice cream, stopping at every house I passed. We would conduct a reversal of Trick or Treat by allowing the individual who answered the door to choose a treat from a bag of goodies..
I simply wanted to let everyone know that it’s my birthday and that I’d want to spread a little love, hope, peace, faith, kindness, joy, and fun throughout the neighborhood to celebrate.
This was my “Link of Love” birthday project, which I completed in honor of my birthday.
The reason I named it that way was because it would connect Bea’s home to mine. However, she was adamant about not doing it for a variety of reasons, and as a result, it never occurred. I had a lovely birthday regardless…but I believe my life would have been far more pleasant if my buddy had stood with me.
2. Do something bravely nice and helpful for someone else.
Perhaps you do not think that a Link of Love would boost positively in your life – or perhaps you do not have somebody who will walk with you on this journey. You don’t have to plan a bizarre or bizarre “act of kindness” in order to maintain your good attitude –
but you do need to discover methods to reach out and give to others if you don’t want your life to be difficult. Why? Because study has shown that donating has a positive impact on not just your emotions, but also your physical health.
When you give, you get lower stress hormone levels, lower blood pressure, and increased endorphins, and acts of kindness reduce anxiety and strengthen the immune system, writes Ann Voskamp in The Broken Way: A Daring Path into the Abundant Life. “Those who perform five acts of giving over six weeks are happier than those who do not,” she writes in The Broken Way: A Daring Path into the Abundant Life.
She goes on to say that doing five random acts of kindness in a week may boost one’s happiness for up to three months thereafter. “ In a study of 77 individuals, researchers asked them to report three items every day for many weeks: any and all stressful incidents they had encountered,
as well as any and all helpful actions they had performed such as opening doors for others, helping children with homework, or lending anything. In the end, the study came to a complete and total epiphany: ‘helpful activities seemed to buffer the deleterious impacts of stress,’ the researchers concluded.
It’s what Voskamp refers to as “discovering your own small miracle.” It is not necessary to do anything risky or unusual in order to alleviate stress and learn how to remain optimistic when life is difficult. Even a tiny present may make someone’s day, and yours as well.
Even the smallest gestures may make a significant impact, such as holding the door open for someone, sending a brief email or text message to someone you haven’t heard from in a while, or making cookies for your next-door neighbor.
3. Locate that long-lost dream that has been hidden in your heart.
God created us with a specific purpose in mind. He created you for a purpose, and He has placed certain dreams in your heart, as well as unique abilities in your fingers and brain, to help you achieve those ambitions. He adores you and knows everything about you – good and terrible, gorgeous and ugly. He knows everything about you.
What is your dream, what is your mission, what is your calling in life? It’s possible that you’re depressed because it’s been crushed. It’s possible that you’re looking for advice on “how to remain optimistic when life is difficult” because your heart has been crushed. Perhaps your dream has died and your purpose has been broken.
So what do we do now? You take a deep breath and let the object that is dead to pass away from your sight. Yes, it is difficult. Yes, your life has turned out differently than you had anticipated or intended. Yes, you’re shattered…but, yes, you’re still here! You are truly looking for techniques to maintain a happy attitude. You’ve come a long way, and you understand that life is about more than just putting up with pain and suffering.
4. Recognize that everything must be damaged before anything amazing may happen.
According to Ann Voskamp’s farmer husband in The Broken Way, “the seed breaks in order for us to get the wheat.” “The land breaks to provide us with the crop, the sky breaks to provide us with the rain, and the wheat breaks to provide us with the flour.” And then the bread cracks, revealing the feast before us. There was even an alabaster jar that cracked to give Him all the glory once upon a time.”
Voskamp’s life has been very difficult, and in devastating ways. She was in such agony that she slashed herself in order to lessen the pain. I’m not sure whether she was looking for advice on how to maintain a cheerful attitude, but I know she discovered the truth, the light, and the pleasure. And she includes Him as a character in her works.
4 Ways to Stay Positive During Difficult Times
Whether you think of life as a roller coaster or a box of chocolates, we can all agree that, although it has its glorious moments, there are times when hope seems a long way off. We should be open to additional chances for reform and improvement during such difficult times.
Here are a few suggestions for keeping a grin on your face:
Instead of saying “to,” use “for.”
At some time, we’ve all said something along the lines of “Why is this happening to me?” “Why is this happening to me?” is a better alternative. Life is what it is. This one word has the power to shift your viewpoint on the problems you’re dealing with. Because those times of adversity may be excellent instructors.
Maintain a gratitude notebook.
Gratitude may be a powerful cure to despair and negativity. And it’s been established that practicing gratitude may rewire your brain over time, increasing your happiness levels!
Take care of yourself.
Make self-care a top priority during difficult times. Make time for a bubble bath once a week, read a self-help book, start a new activity, get lots of sleep and exercise, or speak sweetly to yourself. Do what you’re passionate about.
Maintain an open mind and a broad viewpoint.
Our lowest points may sometimes serve as a springboard for us to go forward in our lives. Consider what you’ve learned from whatever you’re going through. How can you turn this adversity into an opportunity? Sure, it’ll take some time, but with the appropriate perspective, the discoveries you’ll make will astound you.
Surround yourself with people you care about.
Your friends and family might be the bright spots in your life. Reaching out to them for support or even simply to laugh with them might give you the strength to keep going.
Give yourself permission to have awful days.
Attempting to force yourself to be positive can lead to the accumulation of negative emotions and, over time, backfire. Allow yourself to feel and create room for all of your emotions. Crying is a terrific emotional release, so grab a box of kleenex and let the tears flow if that’s what you need.
Make a list of the responsibilities you can handle.
Stop and take a breath if your thoughts are often concentrated on things you can’t control till you’re fatigued. Accept what you can’t change and create a list of the things you can. It’s crucial to recognize what you’re capable of, even if all you have control over is your attitude and effort.
Spend time in the great outdoors.
Take a break from your smartphone and video streaming and go for a stroll outdoors. Spending time in nature may boost your mood and mental health, as well as provide an excellent chance to practice mindfulness, which has several benefits.
Bring joy to someone else’s life.
Every time the globe is hit by calamity, millions of people unite to express their solidarity for those who are afflicted. Service may be a powerful and life-changing instrument, particularly while we’re facing our own difficulties. Selflessness may provide us with a sense of purpose, hope, and courage to keep going.
4 Ways to Stay Positive During Difficult Times
