Dear friends,
Recently and over the past few months, I've been reflecting. It seems as if a lifetime has gone by within the blink of an eye, and I'm really not sure how to feel about it, or the current situation that my country and the world face. I know I am not alone in feeling overwhelmed, confused, lost, scared, anxious, and worried. In fact, I know many others feel the same way.
I always say to myself "don't worry about the things you can't control", but in reality, it's a lot easier said than done---especially for people with certain mental illnesses like Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). For me, my anxiety has always been a constant uphill battle. Unfortunately, it's one of the most diagnosed mental illnesses in the United States and around the world. Also, intrusive thoughts are really common with people who are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. For those who do not know, intrusive thoughts are involuntary thoughts in the head that come about at certain times, usually when a stressor is involved, and oftentimes they're negative in some way. They can turn into obsessions and may become hard to ignore. During this pandemic, I can say that my intrusive thoughts have become a daily fight as my anxiety has increased exponentially since the start of this whole mess.
At the beginning of the year, I told myself that I would make it my New Year's Resolution to be more positive. Soon, the pandemic hit, and waves of madness hit from every direction. My anxiety spiked, my depression has come and gone, loved ones have died, and people all over the world are struggling. Soon, my goal for ample positivity faded and I felt kind of down in the dumps. Eventually, I began to think, reflect, and challenge my perspectives.
I started to look at the positives and really appreciate the blessings I had been given despite all of the bad things...I got ahead in school, so I can graduate a year early if I want to. I got to spend extra time with my loved ones. Fortunately, I have remained employed. I got to take a step back and regroup for a while. I've been working on my website, and it's given me a lot of joy. I've been going outside every day, and I haven't been this active in a long time, etc., etc. The list of positives in my life right now could go on and on. Unfortunately, so could the negatives; however, by changing my mindset and focusing on the things that bring me joy, I have been able to keep my head a little bit straighter during these crazy times.
Of course, changing your negative thought patterns, focusing on the good in your life, and turning your negative thoughts into positives ones are all easier said than done, especially when living through a pandemic and uncertainty. So, I figured I'd make a short list of tips to help guide you in a positive direction during these tough times.
Tips on Staying Positive & Reversing Negative Thoughts:
First thing first: be able to recognize your own negative thought patterns. Everyone's brain chemistry is different, and no two people think alike. By figuring out your own negative thinking patterns, it'll be easier for you to realize that your negative thoughts are simply just thoughts.
Practice regular mindfulness. Check out my blog on meditation for beginners to learn how. Basically, after learning how to recognize your negative thoughts, you should be able to learn to let them go, with each time being easier and easier. Eventually, you will be able to "clear your mind"---in a sense.
Surround yourself with positive things---and yes, that includes people. Cut the toxic ones out. If you don't enjoy going to a certain place, don't go. If you don't like a certain food, don't eat it. Simply as that. It's common sense, really. If you surround yourself with people, places, food, experiences, etc. that make you happy, inherently, you should be happy.
Challenge your perspectives. I came up with this one while thinking about perspectives---how ironic, lol. It's kind of like the "glass half full-glass half empty" analogy. Most of the time, when you get stuck in a negative thought pattern, it's easy to adopt the "glass half empty" perspective. When you find yourself stuck in a rut, challenge your thoughts and ask yourself why you're thinking the way you are. Simply keeping your mind "in check" can go a long way.
Try some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques. CBT is basically a way of re-training your thoughts into positive ones through therapy. Research has shown a lot of positive results through CBT for various mental illnesses. If you find yourself struggling to stop negative thought patterns, maybe CBT is for you.
Try journaling. Journaling is a really nice way of getting a "release" from your negative thoughts. In a way, it's kind of like letting those negative thoughts go. Personally, I don't journal as much as I should. However, in my darkest times, I usually find myself with a pen and journal in hand. Journaling is also used in CBT to help better recognize and analyze negative thought patterns.
Donate to charity, help a friend or volunteer in your community. By helping others, you're actually helping yourself. When you donate your time and energy to others, it actually makes you feel better yourself. There's a direct correlation in the relationship.
Smile more. Tell yourself every time you smile that it will be a reminder to look at the positives in your life, not the negatives. Basically, "turn that frown upside down".
Take responsibility for your own thoughts and feelings. No one can help someone until they truly want to help themselves. It's okay to be down in the dumps sometimes, and it's okay to be sad and cry. However, it's not okay to use your thoughts and feelings to take advantage of those around you simply because you think you can.
Live your life. You only get one life, so you might as well live it to the fullest. A life lived without regrets is a life lived with happiness. Don't be afraid to flirt with that boy in the coffee shop, or apply to the school of your dreams, or book a trip to a place you've always wanted to go. The list is endless, but you get to decide how to create your own happiness.
Anyways, I know a lot of people have been struggling with mental illness during these times, and I think these tips could help anyone struggling with trying to stay positive. I read that there was a 25% increase in suicides in Australia since the start of the pandemic, and that really struck a chord in me. Times are scary, but we all deserve happiness. I hope that if you are reading this you can learn to find your own happiness one day if you haven't already. Until next time...
xoxo,
Allie
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