5 minute read
Maintaining Optimism in times of Adveristy.
By Angeli Marie Shaw
Whilst understandably challenging, trying to remain positive and optimistic during times of crisis and high pressure is momentous to your overall physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. However, we also need to accept that the reality is, negative situations can and will happen all the time, and as we can’t always avoid them, we can certainly work to negate their negative effect on our lives and attitudes, one step at a time.
It’s been a hard truth to accept, the current economic pressures, changes in our way of living over the last few years and an overall altered perspective of the world. Ever since the events of 2020, we’ve had to adjust, adapt, pivot and constantly reinvent the way we handle things and what we do. We learnt a lot about society, and equally important we learnt a lot about ourselves, and although so many of us fought to come out the other side, and did, the challenges continue to present themselves and again, we have to do the work to get to the other side.
If you are one of the many, going through a challenging time, remember that you always have a choice no matter what the circumstance is. You can either choose to let the panic, overwhelm and stress feed on your mind and body, letting it grow stronger at your expense, or you can choose to see your situation in a different perspective, and end (or at the very least ease) the panic then and there.
But how do we do this, let alone remain positive, when it feels like just as we’ve overcome something big, something else comes along? I want you to spend some time thinking about the consequences of your negative thinking in the past. What worked for you? What didn’t? Here are some suggestions to get you thinking…
1. Quit being the victim. It is easier to assume the role of victim than taking responsibility for yourself. But by taking the easy way, you prolong the suffering and unconsciously put off people who may be able to help. Let go of the victim label and free yourself from resentment and bitterness. Holding onto these will only block any creative energy you need to get out of your mess and put a barrier up to those that can be of assistance.
2. Focus on the positives. No matter the situation, there are always some positives to find. It’s actually your unwillingness to look for them that blinds you to the brighter side. For example, are you fully booked and struggling to recruit? The positive is that you can tackle this several ways. Perhaps it’s time to increase your service prices? Just one suggestion on how to look at things differently.
3. Have a positive support group. Notice I said ‘positive’ support group. Sure, it can help having people you can turn to and have a vent, let it all out and express your emotions, but if that’s all you’re ever doing with them you need to ask yourself ‘what is this doing for my headspace? How is this serving me in the long term?
Do I feel better or more anxious after these conversations?’ Surrounding yourself with positive people will help you stay positive! These people won’t just sit in misery with you, they’ll listen, support and try to lift you up. Negative attitudes will just bring you down and be counterproductive to your cause.
4. Retrain your MIND. This one is huge, but not impossible! But it does require consistent work. When we are presented with a situation that we have experienced before, unconsciously we respond in the same way that we always do. It’s a learned behaviour that continuously pops up until we decide to consciously change it.
Next time you find yourself beating yourself up, questioning your actions or doing something that holds you back, try flipping your perspective. Instead of saying ‘I can’t do this’ ask yourself ‘what CAN I do?’ Anytime a negative thought enters your head, stop, recognise it, then turn it into a positive. At some point this will become more natural as your brain begins to automatically turn negatives into positives.
5. Exercise. It’s good for the body and the mind. If you struggle with committing to physical activity, go back to retraining your mind and how you view what exercise actually is. It doesn’t just mean putting on your active wear and hitting the gym, playing a sport or investing in exercise equipment. It’s anything that gets your body moving.
Moving your body releases those natural endorphins in our brains that make us feel better, and it is proven that in doing so it not only has just physical, but emotional benefits too. You may decide to take a walk or do something like yoga or a boxing class. Even taking the stairs over using a lift is beneficial. Try a standing desk instead of always sitting down or while you’re scrolling social media, try committing to doing squats. Either way, use your creativity and get moving.
Tough times present hard, but valuable lessons that force us to re-evaluate the meanings we have attached to events in our lives. The power of positive thinking allows us to put negative situations into perspective and deal with them as they arise.
Still having trouble shifting your mindset? Try creating a list of all the ways your negative thinking impacts your life. Now create a new list of the ways positive thinking could be beneficial. It’s never too late to start doing the work, just focus on that first step!
You’ve got this!
Love and Bliss,
Angeli x
The Bliss Coach
Angeli is a Holistic Empowerment Coach, Mindset Mentor/Trainer and founder of The Bliss Coach. To work with me in 2024, get in touch by visiting www. theblisscoach.com.au or follow me on my socials @theblisscoach to connect and find out more.
