Maintaining Positivity

We all see the motivational quotes about ‘staying positive’ and ‘every cloud has a silver lining’, but in times like this after a year of our lives disrupted by the pandemic, staying positive for you  may be easier said than done. Our brains are wired to focus on negativity and threats from a survival point of view, and this is not helped by the constant onslaught of negative news by the media. So how do we stay positive when we’re constantly surrounded by these negative headlines?

In a time when we are surrounded by fake news made to make us worried and feel worse, one of the most important ways to help stay positive is to be able to separate fact from fiction. Bad news sells headlines, so media companies may spin stories or present the facts in a pessimistic way. This applies not only to news, but you and your inner thoughts. Being able to separate anxieties and times when you are overthinking and spiralling from genuine worries you can actually fix is incredibly important. Worrying about things out of your control is simply going to worsen your mood and mental health. If you feel yourself stressed and spiralling, take a minute to write down everything that you are stressed about, whether it's the fact that you haven’t done laundry in a few days or an important test you have coming up. Then, think about whether you can do anything to fix this issue, and if so, list them in order of priority. Having a plan that you can actually work towards removes the feeling of being lost and not knowing what to do, and slowly but surely, you can tackle these anxieties.

Focus on what makes you happy, and prioritise these things. Work, education and school is simply a part of your life, and although it is an important part, it is not worth worsening your mental health over, especially in times when we need to be as strong as we can. If it is a decision between doing work or eating a healthy meal or getting a good night's sleep, choose yourself over your work. Teachers will understand if your homework is late sometimes or if you need some time to take a breather. Focussing on hobbies can also help - specifically carve some time out of your day to do the things you love. Identifying even small positive things can help clear your mind of the many negative thoughts.

Things like meditation, journaling and affirmations help to keep you grounded and in the present moment as well as helping boost positivity. Positivity has been proven to have physiological effects in addition - studies have shows that pessimists' health deteriorated far rapidly as they aged in addition to having a lower immune response. This could partly be because staying healthy by doing exercise, eating well or even just doing things that keep you happy releases serotonin and endorphins which are the hormones that make you happy. 

These tips may sound incredibly basic and even patronising to some, but every small bit helps even if you are not consciously aware of its effects at the time. Maintaining health is a journey that requires commitment and consistency. It is up to you to train your brain to break away from its natural instinct to see everything in a negative light and break old habits. Remember, if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it - in times like these we all need help from each other and it is a sign of strength, not weakness.