For many, the New Year brings a sense of change and possibility but not everyone feels this way. I am on the cusp of being ones of those people (as you will see from this week’s confession). Trying to stay positive when the future brings with it some unknowns, or things you know to expect but aren’t looking forward to them, that can prove challenging.
You can see our whole Confession playlist on our Youtube channel (youtube.com/everythingmom).
On some days I feel as if I’m the only one in my social group who is struggling with finding the silver lining. I don’t talk about this for fear of being one of those people, the one finding fault, bringing people down. I have discovered that happiness and sadness, positive and negative, have to coexist and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s about finding a balance. If you find yourself struggling with attaining an optimistic attitude, if the ability to stay positive seems impossible, you should read these five posts.
Staying Positive When it Doesn’t Seem Possible
8 Tips for Feeling Happier During an Unhappy Time
(Gretchen Rubin) “At some points in life, it’s not possible — or at least not easy — to feel happy. However, even then, it’s sometimes possible to feel happier.”
45 Benefits of Optimism (Life Optimizer) “I believe the subject of optimism affects every individual going/living through life’s struggles each day. There have been various studies carried out on optimism and while I have a few reservations on extreme optimism, one can’t deny the role optimism plays in enhancing your personal growth.”
Struggling to Feel Positive (The Tapping Solution) “In a culture that encourages us to be, or at least appear, positive, it’s something a lot of us don’t feel comfortable talking about, but the truth is, feeling positive doesn’t always come naturally. In fact, more often than not, it’s a LOT of work!”
10 Tips to Overcome Negative Thoughts (Tiny Buhda) “When we start to have negative thoughts, it’s hard to stop them. And it’s much easier said than done to shift your focus to positive thoughts. But it’s the only way, especially if you want to avoid going down a path that is painful and unnecessary.”
5 Simple Ways to Turn Around a Bad Mood Fast (Inc.) “Regulating your emotions is about choosing to take charge of how you feel. That doesn’t mean you should force yourself to be happy all the time–in fact, research shows forcing yourself to feel happy all the time backfires. But, it does mean you can make choices to boost your mood when you’re down or calm yourself when you’re upset.”
I thought it interesting that in Gretchen Rubin’s post she mentioned that reading children’s literature as a form of “comfort food”. This is similar to my previous confession on why parents should read middle grade books.
How are you approaching the New Year? What helps you overcome or deal with emotions that hinders your ability to stay positive? Is the ability to stay positive even important to you? Confession is good for the soul.