A message from our Executive Director…. We are living through difficult times, and many of our friends, family and neighbours are struggling. The daily dose of negativity (from the news, the line-up at the grocery store, the rants on Facebook) can be overwhelming. So … what can we do? Here are some tips.
Please visit us at the Haliburton Farmers’ Market every Tuesday afternoon from 12 – 4 at Head Lake Park. We are serving up a “Taste of Syria’ courtesy of Ghiyab Al Ali. You can also purchase our homemade BBQ sauces and rubs, and our delicious artisan breads & yummy bakery items to enjoy on the dock or deck this summer.
1. Talk about what you are grateful for. There is always something to be grateful for -- a friend who supports you, flowers at the side of the road, that baby who giggled and laughed in the grocery line. Bring those up in conversation and communicate them to your friends. 2. Don’t beat yourself up when you aren’t always positive. Our brains are actually wired to give negative events a greater impact on our brains than positive ones. (Psychologists refer to this as the “negativity bias.”) But, when you do catch yourself focusing more on the negative, purposefully move to a positive thought. It’s possible to train your brain to both look for the positive and to stay positive. 3. Give yourself positive messages. Tell yourself the things you do well, the things you’re proud of, your strengths. High 5 yourself in the mirror. Repeating positive messages re-trains your brain to look for positive aspects in everything. 4. When something happens you’re not happy about, choose how to respond. You can interpret the same event many different ways so deliberately choose an interpretation that is more positive. I’ve had things happen that were, at the time, discouraging and upsetting. But you know, in hindsight, they were true gifts. One changed my career into what it is today. One introduced me to a key person in my life. Others gave me learning lessons that made all the difference later on in life. So this summer, train your brain to see the positives in you, your life, the people around you, and the events that occur. You’ll be happier … guaranteed.
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