Today I’m delighted to host a guest post by Jeremy Day who blogs at Insight Writer. Jeremy writes on personal development with a realistic touch: not the usual happy-clappy new age stuff but a real person leading his life the best he can. In this article, Jeremy tells use how to stay positive.
“You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world’s happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.” -Dale Carnegie
I think the best people in the world are those that make it their job to be encouragers. I try to be one of those people when I can. However, I do eventually get run down by all the negativity in the world.
Recently I have been going through a little bout with depression. It’s not the kind that destroys you, but it sure takes all the fun out of your day. And your life! Because I haven’t had any depression in awhile I was in a funk and didn’t know what to do. I eventually decided that I would make a list of strategies that work to combat depression, so I could practice them now, and prevent more depression from occuring in the future.
How To Stay Positive
- Surround Yourself With Positive People – This can be hard especially when all the negative people are your co-workers or your family. Yet you can do a lot to maximize your time with positive people. Seek out friends that help you stay positive. Join clubs that help you stay positive. At the very least you can read books and blogs like this one that help you stay positive! 😉
- Smile a whole bunch! – There is a technical term I like to throw around a lot called psychosomatic. Good word to look up in fact. At it’s simplest it means the mind-body connection. Thinking yourself happy can make your body feel better and less stressed. Likewise, something like smiling, can cause your brain to think you are happy even if you aren’t. If you haven’t heard of it before, do a little research.
- Become a Problem Solver – Focusing on a solution to a problem, rather then focusing on the problem itself, can dramatically increase your happiness and positivity.
- Make a List – Not just any list though. Make a list of things you are thankful for. A list of things you love to do. A list of the people you love. Focusing on these things will help brighten your day. And when you go back to read them again, you can smile all over again! Refer to #2 above…
It took a lot of my friends to help turn around my depression. Slowly but surely I could let off the steam by surrounding myself with positive people, smiling more even if I didn’t want to, focusing on the solution rather then the problem, and simply writing positive things down.
At the end of the day you are simply letting negative thoughts out of your life, and positive thoughts into your life.
Hope you all enjoyed this! Please feel free to list other ways you stay positive in the comments below! And thank you Daphne for having me. It’s been a pleasure!
13 replies on “How to Stay Positive”
Thanks for a nice article!!
[…] https://www.joyfuldays.com/how-to-stay-positive/ […]
Also going for a walk is a great way to stay positive….how can anyone be upset when looking at nature!
Hi Daphne,
I am new to your site. Thank you for this guest post.
Hi Jeremy,
It was a great message you brought to us. We all need to learn how we can be positive and hopeful in life. What better ways than using the strategies that you have suggested to us. You do sound like a great optimist just by reading your post. So do not worry about your depression bout. It will pass and you will see more positivity around you again. If it helps, I want to say that reading this vibrating post has already made me more positive today. Thank you.
I invite you both for more positivity by reading my interview with Fred Tracy on personal development and blogging at my site. Fred has the great skills of bring his personal journey into something that we hope to aspire to.
Cheers
Regrds for helping out, excellent informtion.
Ha! Your #1 was the same as mine. Keeping good company is important…I particularly love putting whatever stressful situation I’m in the “Worst Case Scenario” squeeze. After I do that, nothing seems as bad as I really make it out to be.
If you can avoid those that are constantly complaining and wining, you will be half – way there. Also, stay away from short tempered nervous nellies.
I find positivity is contagious and a big part of it is the company you keep.
Yup, smiling is indeed the best way to stay happy and positive always! I always used to not smile… only recently did someone pointed that out to me and now I feel so different!
Blessings
Love the remark about being one who encourages. I have learned the lesson about the power of encouragement the hard way, in my day job. I used to make praise of a good job my primary method of encouragement, but I have learned this is not enough. I now actively go out of my way to find reasons to encourage, just for the sake of pure encouragement and to create a fell-good work environment. My job is much more pleasant now! Hopefully I am now one of those positive people of whom you speak.
Hi Tricia,
Thank you for your thoughtful post. You are so right! What good is joy if it doesn’t carry us through the hard times! I love your wisdom! thank you! Thank you!
Cheers,
Jeremy
Hi Daphne,
Thanks so much for posting this! We all can use more positive thoughts in our lives. Let me know if I can help anyone else out with some positive mojo!
Cheers,
Jeremy
Gassho Jeremy,
Yup ~ difficult to stay positive in trying times, and we’re in a world of hurt globally.
But think about it~ trying times do reveal how positive you really are. What’s the virtue in being positive when you’re on a roll, when everything is rolling your way? Yes?
It’s OK to feel your feelings ~ we’re human.
Feelings are either Love based or Fear based.
IF they’re fear-based ~ it’s your monkey-brain
scaring you with illusions.
And I refuse to attach myself to a monkey-brain thought! Because “the days are long, but the years are short.”
Instead Invest Spending Your Precious Time:
Being present in the moment NOW,
Grateful for what you DO have,
Forgiving yourself at the end of each day,
(and IF you skip this one ~ I’ll forgive you)
Letting it ALL go at the end of each day;
because there is no future in your past,
Laughing! Laughter is fabulously positive MOJO!!!
Watching comedy shows.
Skip the “if it bleeds it leads” shows ~
your monkey-brain will act like it’s jacked up
on a case of Red Bull ~ (~_*)
IN JOY ALWAYS,
Tricia
Namaste’