The Behavior of Choosing the Positive
It is not new that many of us have viewed 2020 , 2021 and perhaps the beginning of 2022 as difficult years. The Country feels divided, people are choosing to ignore one another’s opinions, yet shouting their own from the rooftops, which only encourages others to hold on to their own thoughts and feelings even tighter. We have seen businesses forced to close their doors, despite being part of the community for decades. We no longer see our neighbor’s smile in the store because we are all in masks worried that the next day’s pandemic numbers report could include ourselves, a family member or friend. Our children are not in their typical school settings; we are attending weddings on a screen and even celebrating a life without being able to hug those that are grieving. So many of us feel depressed, feel anxious, feel additional stress and do not see a light at the end of this extremely long tunnel. It is so easy to dwell in what we have lost, but for your own health, try to do just the opposite. There is good amongst these trying times, we just have to be willing to see it.
When have we ever been given a “pause” button in life? We are consistently told to go, go, go! We speak to one another about our busy schedules, the unrealistic number of activities we have our kids in and feel accomplished when we have filled our calendars to our own breaking points. Maybe this is the world’s way of slowing us down. I am grateful for the perspective this “pause” has gifted us.
We have been immersed in washing our hands, lathering up on hand sanitizer, using bleach wipes on every surface, but what about the ways we can internally boost our immune systems? Drinking water, engaging in daily exercise, eating foods that give us energy, fuel our health and provide us with the nutrients we need.
Perhaps as we come back into society, we will do so with the knowledge that we must support small businesses in order for them to survive. We will remember that we relied on our neighbors that had extra masks, paper towels and toilet paper. We will recall the neighborhood group texts that went out, ensuring we were all okay. Those same neighbors may vote differently, have been affected by this pandemic differently and perhaps we can use this as a remember of the importance in being open to hearing one another’s opinion and more importantly remember there can be two sides, both good and not so good aspects of a viewpoint. We can listen more and remember that we must always be open to learning and growing, because that is truly what it means to be living.
The people that we surround ourselves with, the media we choose to read, watch or listen to, the people or businesses we choose to follow on social media will all play a role in our internal thoughts and feelings. If you feel drained, upset or angry after scrolling through your social media feed, perhaps it is time to remove the app or unfollow certain accounts. If you feel anxious after watching the news, perhaps only look up specific updates online and avoid the typical television news. If you have a person in your life that makes you feel bad after spending time with them or even talking with them, it is okay to limit or end the time you are spending with them. If that is too difficult, perhaps you can do activities together such as go on a bike ride or join a book club that do not allow for as much discussion or perseveration about current events.
Some things that I find helpful in feeling more positive and energized throughout the day are working out, making a gratitude list, spending time with positive people, reading books, listening to audio books or podcasts, planning for what I want my week to look like and sticking with that schedule, spending time outdoors, spending time with animals, allowing for some down time in your day, creating boundaries, going on dates with your partner, even if it just on your porch or backyard, spending time with friends…basically, everything you are used to doing, just using creativity when needed to complete it.
