How can you have a more positive outlook on life when struggling with Mental Illnesses?
Being positive sounds so simple, right? And you have probably all heard someone saying 'think positive'. But is it really that simple? Having any type of illness weather that being Mental or Psychical will put a downer on how you think about life. So how can you stay positive when struggling with long term mental health problems?Positivity is choosing to see the bright side of life. It is recognising that struggle and pain are not all whats there, even if they're all we can see in a certain moment. It is seeing the good in people even when we have to search really hard. Its about trusting ourselves.
Negativity is about finding fault and worry in people and situations. Its about focusing on the one thing that went wrong when a zillion others went right. But what if our lives aren't perfect? Should we pretend our illnesses don't exist? Absolutely not. I used to think that if I shared my struggles people would think I'm being negative. Then I realised that holding in all the bad stuff made me feel even worse. instead of feeling free I felt trapped.
10 top tips on how to become more positive!
1. Be comfortable in your own skin.
The first step to feel more positive about yourself is to feel comfortable in your own skin. No one is perfect and everyone was born with flaws, You have to accept yourself for who you are and love yourself. If your not happy within you own skin it becomes your biggest concern, that stays on the top of your mind all day. It kills your self-esteem, confidence and happiness within yourself. Surround yourself with people who value the same things in you and leave the people with bad attitudes behind.
2.Keep Active
Keeping active weather thats going to the gym or just filling your day with day to day things is a massive help to staying well. Regular exercise can boost your self-esteem and can help you concentrate, sleep, look and feel better. Exercise or just keeping busy massively improves your mental health.
3. Don't isolate yourself.
Its especially easy for those who are affected by psychical or mental illness to disconnect from the outside world. Its easier than you think, illnesses that limit you to your house or even your bedroom have already cut off the majority of your social life. But staying in contact is really important, call or text you friends and family and try stay as involved as possible. If your not limited to your house, getting out to go and see friends, or go shopping or even just for a walk is essential for your health.
4. Surround yourself with positive people
If you want to become and live a more positive life, you have to make sure you spend time with people who let off positive energy. Surround yourself with people who make you feel good, and people who have a positive impact on your mood.
5. Live in the moment
You are not your thoughts, life unfolds in the present. But so often we let the present slip away, allowing time to rush past us. Focus on the present, the here and now. Try and stop your mind running away and thinking about the future. Be aware of your surroundings, and try focus on all the good things around you.
6. Let go of your need to control
A lot of people feel the need to be in control, it makes you feel secure but at the same time, with control we lose freedom. Trying to control things will not only drive other people away which will make you panic more but it hinders you from achieving happiness.
7. Avoid overthinking
This is what a lot of us do, we worry about our future. about our career, health, living, money, and about the ones we love. We worry because we are scared. However worrying doesn't make anything better unless we stop worrying and start taking actions towards our goals.
8. Have an open mind
Having an open mind helps you learn and grow, strengthen your belief in yourself. There is an honesty that comes with an open mind because being open minded means admitting that you aren't all knowing. It means believing that whatever truth you find might always have more to it than you realise.
9. Go slowly
I have found that when I go fast, when I try to think, talk, eat and move around in my world really quickly then things don't go to well. Stress builds up. Negative thoughts about just about anything start to well up and then I feel like my personal power decreases. If I slow down even if its just for a few minutes when I'm walking, talking or eating - then my mind and body calms down too. It becomes easier to think things through clearly again and easier to find the optimistic and constructive perspective.
10. Transform negative self-talk to positive self-talk.
Some people think more negatively than others, and usually people don't realise there actually putting themselves down a lot - because they've become so used to negative self-talk. It can creep up easily and often hard to notice. You might think 'I'm so bad at this' or 'I shouldn't of tried that'. But these thoughts turn into internalised feelings and might cement your conceptions of yourself. When you catch yourself doing this, stop and replace those negative messages with positive ones. For example; 'Im so bad at this' becomes 'yes I may not be the best but with more practice I will get better at it'.
I hope this post has been useful, and that you feel able to try some of these tips out!
Positive mind,
Positive vibes,
Positive life.
Hope your all well,
Love Leah x
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