Share some positivity

Some places are loosening lock down measures, but there is still a lot of uncertainty around how it’s going to look longer term. Many – I’m going to wager most – people are going through a tough time to varying degrees. I’m still managing to stay positive. It’s not that I’m unaffected by what is happening, but I’m looking for ways to manage through it the best I can. I try to remain as optimistic as possible and try to share some positivity as much as I can. I hope it can help at least one person feel less down. Not everyone wants it, so I understand when it’s not the time. 

If you want a little boost in positivity, here are some suggestions that have worked for me. Maybe one or two of them may be beneficial for you too.

A bit of background 

You can pass feelings on to others. Think of a time when you saw someone, especially a child, laughing out of pure joy (even virtually). How did it make you feel? Didn’t it make you at least smile, even if you weren’t having a great day? I know that when I hear my niece or nephews laugh, I can’t help but smile! Or if someone approaches me genuinely happy and how it softens even a tough moment. It’s also true with negative feelings. Can you remember a time when someone walked into a room completely sour and how it brought down the mood? Or when someone started yelling at you and how it changed how you felt?

We all can influence the feelings of the people around us. If you express happiness, then you can uplift other peoples’ mood. If you express anger, people will respond to you in kind.

When you’re experiencing a strong emotion, either positive or negative, you’re wrapped up in the experience and don’t typically think about the impact on those around you.

Pay attention to it the next time you speak to someone. Watch how people act if you’re mad. Do they become angrier? If you’re feeling good, do they become more talkative and smile more? Also, watch to see if their positive or negative mood impacts yours.

On to some tips

Inner self

Try to stop complaining

 Please note that I say “try”! I know there are times we all feel like complaining about something. But it’s a negative experience that affects everyone involved. If you feel like complaining, try to do it when you have a reasonable solution for the problem, or if you’re looking for advice on how to handle it. If you’re only going to say something negative about somebody or something, then try to keep it to yourself.

Look for things you can appreciate each day.

 At the end of each day, write down some things that pleased you. It could be as simple as your breakfast, catching your favorite movie, like The Princess Bride (sorry, it just came out on Disney Plus, and it made my day!), or more significant like something great that happened. Do it every day and think about it before you go to bed. It will help you go to sleep more hopeful and wake up with anticipation of what the next day can bring.

Consider your life journey.

 Look at your life and think through what is going well. Reflect on the past, present and what you hope for the future. Take stock of the great things that happened, even if you don’t feel like there were many; focus on them.

Look for laughter 

 Optimistic people seem to be able to laugh at situations and themselves. If it’s difficult for you to find, especially right now, watch something funny.

Remember your worth

 Sometimes bad feelings come from how severely you judge yourself, or you may have people in your life that are the ones judging you harshly. Remember that you’re just as worthy as everyone else and deserve to be treated equally.

Some quick boosters

Breathe more

• Count backwards from 100.
• Take four or five deep breaths.
• Stretch for 10-15 minutes.

Things to do

• Take a walk in your neighborhood if you can safely socially distance. I have taken walks in my place (and it’s small!) just to get into a different groove – music helps! 
• Workout. I wrote a post with some exercises you can do at home.
• Contact family or friends.
• Play. If you have children or a pet, play with them. If you have none, play on your own! 

Escape

• Take a warm bath.
• Read a book.
• Watch a movie. I somehow am still managing to find movies to watch, even though I thought I pretty much have seen everything on Netflix in the last two months!
• Listen to music.
• Meditate.

The bottom line is that we can influence our social world. Try to be conscious of how you’re making others feel and how they’re making you feel.

Do you have any other positivity tips?

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For some more inspiration, I wrote other posts to stay healthy and positive during the lock down.