How to stay positive ?

From friends and family being unwell to anxiety about exams, this summer has been hard for many of us. TeenBook brings tried and tested mechanisms for coping with tough situations.

Photo: Shutterstock/Prostock-studio/Persons in the photo are models. 

Surround yourself with positive people

A person is known by the company he/she keeps. It is indeed important to have a positive support system/company in place that will assist you and be involved in getting through tough times. It can be your family, best friends, cousins or just your pet! Be in touch with them by expressing yourself. 

Don’t avoid your feelings. Be open about it. If you are feeling sad or depressed, share it. It helps to cry or even feel sad at times. Because after doing that and venting out your feelings, you will be amazed at how light you might feel! 

But avoid negative people – someone who always talks about sad stuff! The more you avoid negative company, the less you go near stress. Their pessimistic behaviour will only depress you and will work against what you are trying to accomplish by practising positive thinking. 

Also, don’t forget to check out this amazing video on Understanding your emotions. Read the rest of the article below the video: 

Think of the things you are grateful for 

Even with the most difficult of circumstances, most of us recognise that we have stuff in our lives for which we are thankful. It can be anything – your parents, your best friend, your music system, your pet dog/cat, or your room! Count your blessings!

Gratitude is a virtue to cultivate. Talk to your best friends, your support network, about the things you’re grateful for. Keep a gratitude journal to record your feelings of gratitude for what you have on a regular basis. And when bad things happen, actively remembering what you’re thankful for will help you maintain a grateful mind and heart.

Train your mind to avoid negativity 

Do you have a habit of second-guessing your choices and actions?Oh well, I suppose we’ve all been there, right? Nobody needs to call us dumb because we are often perfectly capable of doing so ourselves! I am so poor at Math. My art is so bad! I am a terrible player – and what not!

Retrain your brain to avoid punishing yourself this way. The more you speak negatively about yourself, the more negative thoughts can become ingrained in your mind. So repeat after me, “ I am the best. And I can do better!’ Do it as many times as you want. 

Use the power of positive thinking to your advantage. Replace any negative thoughts with positive ones if they arise. When your brain learns to immediately transform a negative into a positive, this will become more normal.

Strengthen your body and mind 

Physical, mental, and emotional benefits all come from exercise. Getting up and exercising will improve your body’s condition while also improving your self-esteem for having the discipline to exercise. 

You could incorporate yoga into your workout routine from time to time to help you learn to concentrate and meditate more effectively. Exercise is a fantastic way to combat the negative effects of poor circumstances.

Hunt for solutions 

Numerous people are opposed to change in their lives. We must learn to understand that change is unavoidable. Have you heard that “change is the only constant in life”? There is a lot of reality to that, as we are constantly changing, whether for the better or for the worse.

Accepting that change is a part of life will help us relax and accept it more readily. Try to see the bright side of things. Let’s say you have got poor marks on a monthly paper, think of how it can help you do much better in the final exams. Converting our negative thoughts into positive ones can really help us power through tough situations. 

Do you have anything on your mind? Share with us in the comment box below. Remember not to put any personal information in the comment box.