Tips for Acquiring a Positive Attitude During Tough Times

Have you found it difficult to maintain a positive attitude lately? A divorce can change everything you hold dear in a heartbeat. Few things destroy our ability to stay positive more than having trouble at work. A serious illness or losing a loved one can make it seem impossible to see the light through the dark ever again.

Does it feel like your life is falling apart? Don’t despair! A positive attitude can truly create happiness in your life and the lives of everyone around you.

A positive attitude change change everyone's day. — The Covid Pandemic has been difficult for everyone, but those who kept a positive attitude have had it easier than others.

A Positive Attitude Can Reduce Stress & Anxiety

Everyone has problems at one point or another. In fact, they lost over 12.5 million workdays in the UK alone in 2017 due to stress, anxiety, or depression. Stress affects people mostly because of money, work, poor health, or family responsibilities.

Grandma always reminded me that “when one door closes, another one opens.” Turn the problems you’re facing right now into nothing more than a terrible memory. As we look back at the Covid Pandemic, it’s easier today to see how difficult it was to remain optimistic about the situation we were in. Trying to remain positive during interactions that could only happen on phone calls or social media was more than a little challenging.

So, what’s the key to staying positive when things are looking bleak? Let’s find out!

Don’t Wait to Be Happy.

How many times have you told yourself that you’ll be happy as soon as you switch jobs or get a raise? These things might not happen soon enough to change you and create a positive attitude. If you rely on those changes to live your best life, you deny your right to happiness. We can make many minor changes each day, but it’s impossible to make several large ones simultaneously.

Appreciate every moment and focus on the good in your life. Live in the present moment and be grateful for what you have now. Plan for tomorrow, but don’t fixate on it.

Stop Being a Victim

When times get tough, we blame others for our problems. Doing so will only keep you from finding solutions and solving your problems. Look no further than the devastation we have sown in the United States over the past year in the unending political tug-of-war we’ve established. We are not creating winners and losers; we are enabling others to label us as victims. I refuse to wear that bleak cloak. I am not a victim, and I’ve proven it multiple times.

Wikipedia describes victim mentality as an acquired personality trait in which a person tends to recognize or consider themselves as a victim of the negative actions of others and to behave as if this were the case in the face of contrary evidence of such circumstances.

Please take responsibility for the current situation and then find a way to fix it. Break free from the “poor me” mentality and be proactive in your quest for happiness.

Psychology Today provides us with a list of techniques to help us move beyond being a victim:

Take ownership and responsibility for your needs/wants.
Practice saying “No.”
Stop blaming.
Figure out the root cause of your feelings of powerlessness.
Be kind to yourself.

Start setting boundaries and stop labeling yourself as “less than.” Don’t allow your life to spin out of control any longer. There is no way the focus of the world is on destroying you. Look at it this way; once you shed your victim mentality, you no longer have to deal with taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong in your life.

Try Something New Today

Opportunities exist around every corner. It’s a matter of going out and looking for the next great opportunity. Stuck in a terrible job? Find something else! Assess your skills and figure out how you could use them to boost your income and help others. Finding those opportunities will require a shift to a positive attitude.

You won’t discover new opportunities until you look for them. Knowledge is power, and your power lies in your ability to read and do research. During my commercial credit career, I never lost a lawsuit because I always did relentless research. Sometimes it was uncomfortable to delve into research when I didn’t totally understand an industry. But that didn’t stop me from learning everything I could.

Opportunities can present themselves within the company you currently work for. Have you recently lost a big client? Start pitching potential customers. Dedicate at least 30 minutes every day to cold emailing and job hunting. The more options you have, the better. Sometimes you’ll find a tremendous opportunity right where you are. A positive attitude brings more opportunities.

Start a Mindfulness Routine

Meditation is one of the best ways to calm your mind and ward off stress. Mindfulness is one of the easiest ways to foster a positive attitude. It’s so powerful that it alters the brain’s structure and triggers positive changes in the areas associated with memory, creativity, and cognition.

Meditate every day. Please do it for at least 10 minutes. Close your eyes, clear your mind, and take deep breaths. Breathe in for five seconds while saying, “I Am.” Hold it for five seconds and then breathe out for five seconds while saying, “In Control.” The benefits are immediate.

Picture a beautiful scene where you’d like to spend a few hours. Look at each rock and stone. Watch the ripples of water and the sunlight reflecting off them. You may not travel yet because of Covid, but that doesn’t stop you from imagining yourself somewhere beautiful.

Allow Others to Help

Nothing can help to create a positive attitude more than knowing someone else cares enough to help. Through their positive actions, you gain a new perspective. They provide support and accountability. When you allow someone else to help, you strengthen your bond with them, too.

Asking for help can make you more vulnerable, but it can also show strength. As a child, my abuser threatened me if I ever told my truth. That one threat caused me to be unwilling to ask for help for years. I believed I was the only one who could solve my problems. The isolation that creates is suffocating. Don’t allow yourself to fall into the same trap.

When you allow someone to help you, it gives them the gift of giving. Life is a partnership, and love requires you to share good and bad times. Shift your perspective. You’ll never know how much you’re worth until you allow others to share in your successes. Accepting the help of others is an act of love for yourself. You can’t maintain a positive attitude without the love of yourself.

Keep Moving Forward with a Positive Attitude

Just because your life isn’t perfect during the age of Covid, it doesn’t mean it will be like this forever. Problems come and go. What matters is your outlook on life and the tenacity to move forward.

Get out and enjoy yourself for a bit. Read a wonderful book, call an old friend, or start a new hobby. These small things can make a world of difference.

“Surround yourself with positive people, and you’ll be a positive person.” Kellie Pickler