Staying Positive in gloomy times

Photo by Katrina Wright on Unsplash

With the storm of negativity looming in our lives in this period, right from corona virus pandemic to financial crisis, some of us might be fighting a war with ourselves pondering on how our ships will sail through. Well, negative thoughts coming to our minds at this point in life is natural, but what is not right is letting these negative thoughts gulp us. So, what can we do here? Here are some steps to let positivity breathe life.

• Tell ourselves, it is a phase and it will pass. Remember, nothing is permanent. This phase is not permanent either. After every harsh winter, there is always a bright summer.
• Stop sympathising with ourselves. We must never tell ourselves that we are wronged. If we do so, we will end up extending our period of self pity and thereby bringing suffering to us and people around us. Not just that, self pity can sometimes lead to bitterness and bitter feelings can nip the bud of creativity and positive thoughts
• Let us try and look at the positive sides. We can think of at least 5 positive things that happened because of this. Maybe we were able to bring out the creative side in us, maybe we were able to come up with new ideas for growth and self-development, maybe we were able to work on some things which we thought we would never be able to work on.
• Let us try and be thankful for all the good things we have. The phase is strenuous and it’s not easy to be thankful in this period of crisis. However, if we are thankful for the good things we have, it becomes easier for us to face challenges.
• Let us talk to our well-wishers, friends and family. We are not alone. Also, let us try and help people who need us. Yes, times are tough, but there could be people who are in a worse situation than us. Let us reach out to them. Help them if we can. Helping people less fortunate than us can help us put things in perspective.
• Stay away from media. Listening and watching the same old gloomy stuff again and again will do us no good. We are already fighting a war with ourselves. We need to emerge as winners. Dismal news will only push us back to the dark clouds
• Get some sleep. In periods of stress, getting sleep is a herculean task. Nonetheless, getting sleep is imperative to think clearly and stay focused
• Re- think the values of life. Ask yourself, ‘Have I realised what really matters in time of crisis? Whatever goals and meanings I was following before this period of crisis, are they precious or do I need to work on new goals?

Period of crisis teaches us some important lessons in life and these lessons are valuable. We learn to appreciate things which, we might have taken for granted earlier. All the same, every day is not the same. Things change, better things come our way. Everything will be okay in the end. John Lenon rightly said, ‘Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.’

Sources: https://theconsciouslife.com/stay-positive-tough-times.htm