If you’ve ever felt like you were in a rut, it can be hard to get out of. Even if everything in your life is going well, it can be easy to feel tired and blah. Finding happiness and staying positive can be difficult when our minds are filled with negative thoughts. It’s time for a change. We all need time to think about the things that make us happy.
There are many things that can happen in the course of a single day that can have a negative impact on your mood. Whether it’s work, family, or even just life in general, there’s always something to bring your mood down. But don’t let yourself stay unhappy and stressed all day; there are some quick and easy ways to make sure you maintain a positive outlook while still getting everything done.
I think we can all agree that staying happy and positive is necessary for a fulfilling life. The truth is, it’s not always easy to stay upbeat – especially when the world around us feels chaotic and negative. However, there are some simple things we can do to keep our spirits high even when things seem difficult. Here are 9 ways to stay happy and positive as a way of living.
Understand the importance of staying happy
First things first: understand how vital it is to maintain a positive outlook. Happiness is an essential ingredient to a healthy life, and not having it can seriously hurt you. Psychologists have found that certain factors can contribute to whether or not someone is happy or sad, and that certain coping strategies can mitigate the likelihood of becoming sad. This is why it’s important to take a look at the causes of your happiness, and what can help you live a fulfilled life.
As humans, we tend to get carried away with making negative assumptions. We don’t take a moment to think things through, so we end up making poor conclusions and then jump to conclusions.
Create a plan to stay positive
Most people have a good idea of the positive things in their lives, but they don’t always set specific goals to achieve those positive feelings. So create a vision board or set goals for yourself. Being able to see progress is the most rewarding thing when it comes to achieving your goals. Once you’ve planned your course of action, commit to it. This is how we put our minds to work, and staying positive requires our efforts.
There are many times that we let negative thinking get the best of us, but we can decide to focus on only the positives. You don’t have to disregard a negative thought completely; you can ask yourself how you would respond if the thought occurred again tomorrow.
Figure out what makes you happy
The most important thing to do when you’re feeling down is to figure out why you’re feeling this way in the first place. It’s easy to fall into a routine of complaining, dwelling on the negative, and overthinking everything. However, a lot of people get discouraged because they aren’t getting results and don’t know what to do next.
Figure out what’s going on that’s making you unhappy. And what you’re doing about it. That’s the important thing. If you feel as though something needs to change, do it. If you know you need to be better at communicating with your partner or are struggling with low self-esteem, take the necessary steps to do so.
Learn to take care of your body and mind
The next thing you should take note of is how to take care of your body and mind. This is something you’ll need to do if you want to live a happy and positive life. Many of the things we do throughout the course of the day involve our bodies and minds. Not only do you have to wake up and get dressed to go to work, but you also have to eat breakfast, get your body moving to start your day, and get to sleep at a certain time. Once you have these things in place, it’s easier to maintain a positive outlook and be happy!
One thing you can do to start your day on a positive note is to meditate. Meditation isn’t the same thing as being spiritual, but it can be a great way to get your mind to rest and relax so that you can handle whatever the day throws at you.
Another thing you can do is start developing the habit of exercising. There are a lot of benefits of exercising since you would not only just maintain a healthy physique, but also a healthy outlook as well. You might want to try aerobic exercises that will definitely improve your health.
Practice self-compassion instead of self-criticism
The first thing we need to change is the way we look at ourselves. Our main mode of looking at ourselves is through self-criticism. We think, “I didn’t do enough,” or, “I’m not good enough.” This kind of self-criticism can completely wreck our mood. We start to feel negative, discouraged, and anxious because we aren’t living up to our own expectations and we have low self-esteem. Instead of self-criticism, we need to practice self-compassion.
Self-compassion is an attitude that reframes how we view ourselves and the world around us. The key to self-compassion is simply noticing how our emotions and actions cause us to experience our current state. Instead of judging our negative emotions, self-compassion encourages us to learn and grow from them and channel them in constructive ways.
Spend time with people who support you
You might already have some family and friends around you who are willing to listen to you complain about your boss or how much work you have to do, but you also need other people who are ready to do something about it. If you have a few friends who would be willing to spend a Saturday together or an evening playing a board game with you, that’s one thing you can do to stay positive and encourage you to keep a positive outlook.
Aim for progress, not perfection
No matter how good of a plan you have, you won’t get there if you aren’t focusing on what matters. Rather than fretting over things you might not have accomplished yet, try to focus on the progress you’ve made and the achievements you’ve made so far. Focus on what you have to look forward to, and on making positive changes that will get you to the next level.
Instead of quitting halfway through the day, ask yourself what you can do to improve things a bit more. What can you change? And what can you add to your day? Can you answer that question affirmatively, or do you tend to dwell on the negative? It’s time to refocus on the positive and do something productive.
Take action from things that make you angry or frustrated
Have you ever found yourself at a point in the day where you want to let it all out, but find yourself unable to say or do anything that might make the situation better? You’ve experienced what other people call the “spit take.” What this means is that you’re fuming, and just don’t know what to do with yourself. Well, there’s no need to let yourself get angry forever, or even to wait until you’re in a better mood to take action. Rather, take this opportunity to realize that if you can’t do something about the situation right then, you might as well do something positive, and that action will help in the long run.
This is a great way to create a productive activity that has nothing to do with your current situation. Perhaps you could just go outside and breathe fresh air for a few minutes.
Maintain a healthy sense of humor
Everyone has bad days. But the trick is not allowing that day to ruin the rest of your life. Try keeping a sense of humor, because no one wants to spend their day saying the same things over and over again to people who only want to get you to shut up.
One thing you can do is try doing pranks. Prank calling is one of the classic forms of pranking and we suggest you download an app that helps you do so. When downloading a prank call app, look for one that has an available online soundboard to save you the trouble of thinking of fun scripts you can try out with your friends.
Whether you’re in a rut, or just feeling down on yourself, finding something to be grateful for can help keep your spirits up. But you need to be realistic. Happiness is a choice, and choosing to focus on the positives in your life is a great way to stay positive and happy.
But be honest with yourself. Be brutally honest. Once you’ve discovered something that makes you feel happy and then you work to improve upon that, it won’t be long before you’re back to feeling great.
Trust me, there’s no need to lose sight of your goals or your dreams. You just need to refocus on what’s good and it will happen.
Cheers, friends!
