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Wednesday 17 February 2016

How I Stay Positive Everyday



I am back today with something different, and have put together my tips on how I manage to stay positive in what can sometimes be a negative world. 

For many years I have been a worrier, an over thinker, and have suffered from anxiety on and off for almost 8 years. I have spent most of that time trying to figure out ways to keep my mind positive and to focus on what calms me and makes me happy. I am constantly learning and growing, and I can definitely say that I can allow myself to get very down and negative at times without even realising it. I can get sucked into other peoples negative vibes and in turn, I begin to view my own life in a negative way too. 

I have put together my top 5 tips that help me to snap out of my negative mindset and begin to focus on the good things in life - 

1 - Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind 

I remember asking a friend of mine last summer how she managed to keep herself so positive in a certain situation she was dealing with and her answer? - Out of sight, out of mind. At the time I didn't really think about what that actually meant. 
If you go looking for negativity, or allow yourself to be in the presence of something or someone that upsets you, makes you anxious or gives you negative feelings, you will in turn be affected by that. 
What you don't hear/see won't hurt you, and in my line of work, this is proving so true. I used to find myself scrolling through social media and reading other peoples rants and moans about life or watching endless snapchat stories of strangers giving out about this, that and the other. I never put my phone down afterwards and felt good. I always felt negative and frankly a bit miserable, just like the person who had created the content. I began to unfollow people that made me feel this way, and I have been blown away by how much more positive and happy I feel. Any time I click into social media, I am now surrounded by people that make me smile, laugh and generally give me good positive energy. Its all a choice. You choose what you read, who you spend time with, who you allow to impact your mood. 
This is also true in real life. I am a firm believer in less is more when it comes to friends. I have a small handful of close friends who I love dearly and bring so much happiness and positivity into my life. They say you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with, so be sure to choose them wisely. Life is too short to surround yourself with bad energy.

2 - Make A Conscious Choice 

This one can be a little annoying to hear at first. I remember reading somewhere that if you choose to be happy and positive first thing in the morning, it will help you stay that way for the day. Some days, no matter how much I tell myself to remain positive, it is just impossible, however it does make you aware of your thoughts and allows you a chance to try and alter any negative ones that might be creeping in. Having been practicing this one for a few months now, it definitely has helped me to be more mindful and in tune with my head. Being aware of each thought that enters your head allows you to filter out the bad ones. 

3 - Have Someone Keep You In Check 

We all need to be given a kick up the arse sometimes, and having someone who is there to call you out on your negativity can be enough to change your mindset. I find I can just wake up grumpy and for the entire day I view every task that is thrown at me in a negative way. Most of the time I don't even know I am doing it. It is only when my partner pulls me up on it that I reflect and think "ok Rosie, cop on and drop the negative and snappy mood".
I tend to pass off my negative days as 'hormonal' days but thats very rarely the case. 
I do the same for Paul when he begins to get stressed and grumpy. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to call you out on it for you to change your thought process. 

4 - Meditation 

Back when I began having panic attacks after my Dad passed away in 2008, I was advised to try meditation and mindfulness. There are so many ways in which you can practice mindfulness and mediation but the one that has worked consistently for me is YouTube videos before bed. 
I find my mind is at its busiest just as I settle down to go asleep, so this is when I need the most help in calming my thoughts. 
Every night since my pregnancy with Harry I have gone to sleep using YouTube guided meditations and guided talks regarding positivity and calming your mind. My recent favourite is a YouTube channel called Actualised.org 
Paul came across it one night, and we have both been listening since. There are so many videos on motivation, meditation, staying positive, being productive. I fall asleep listening to these most nights and find it helps to keep my mind clear and happy. 

5 - Reflection 

This is something I have only learnt recently. Any time I am faced with a stressful situation, or something that has me sick with worry, I like to sit down and think about the last time I felt this way and how I SURVIVED!! We tend to be quick to forget how great we are at overcoming difficulties in our lives, but sometimes just reflecting on how far you have come and all that you have managed to deal with in your life can be the wake up call you need to remind yourself that you are strong enough to cope and to kickstart those positive thoughts again. 

These are just my tips on how I personally stay positive in my day to day life, and may not work for everyone. Also, please be aware that I too have bad days where NONE of the above work, and on those days, I just chose to be kind to myself and allow myself to feel whatever way I do that day, be it positive or negative. 

Lots of Love, 

Rosie 

4 comments:

  1. Love the out of sight out of mind bit. I follow all sorts on Facebook and sometimes come off it feeling down. Just unfollowed a whole heap of accounts. ��

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  2. I loved this Rosie. I'm absolutely of the mindset that ignorance is bliss when it comes to negativity and I'd rather not know what people are saying online. It's the best way to protect yourself from the rubbish online and since I started doing it recently, I'm so much happier. You always put a smile on my mush so keep it up and now I'm off to find that YouTube channel because my brain does not stop at night!! Fab pose 👍👍👍

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  3. Great post Rosie, words and advice to live by!

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