Five ways to stay positive when facing challenges

Keeping a positive attitude isn’t just good for your health but also good for your performance. The first step in learning to focus on the positive requires knowing how to stop negative self-discussion. The more negative feelings you ponder, the greater the power you offer them. Most of our negative thinking is just that — thought, not reality.

Pause

When you find yourself thinking that your inner voice is saying negative and gloomy things, it’s time to think and write them down. Stop what you are doing, and write down what you think. When you have taken a moment to slow down the negative momentum of your emotions, your evaluation of their accuracy would be more logical and clear-headed. Assess the negative claims to see if they are true.

Stop being the victim

During difficult times it is easier to assume the part of a victim than to take responsibility for yourself. However, doing so would only prolong your misery and put off people who could help you out. Even letting go of the victim label frees you from anger and frustration that will give you the creative energy that you need to get out of the mess.

Learn to appreciate what you have

Having mentioned the best stuff you can think of, have an appreciation for both the new situation and for the things you already have. Things could be a lot worse! Being thankful in the face of difficult challenges won’t be easy, but concentrating on what you have, instead of what you have lost, will place you in a stronger position to fix problems than being in self-pitying and sorrowful state.

Reach out to other people

Do you know of people who may be seriously impacted by the crisis? Others may have lost their jobs because their companies were put out of business, while others suffered massive losses due to the collapse of the stock market. Speak to them, listen and offer your support. Helping people who are less fortunate than you helps bring things into perspective as well. And who knows, they might be the ones who will lend you a helping hand the next time the table flips.

Get some rest

We are likely to miss out on sleep during a stressful time. During stressful times you’ll need more quality sleep than ever so you can stay healthy, clear-headed and centered to figure out your next steps.

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