When I was a little kid, positivity came so easily to me. I enjoyed the life around me without a care in the world. But as I got older that changed, and the past two years have been difficult for me. I find myself in a good state of mind for a while and then as soon something happens it messes me up and I have no idea who I am or where I am going. As a soon to be senior in high school, I know that this struggle of not knowing exactly where I am headed in life is far from over, so I have a few things that help me stay on track and help remind myself that it is okay to not have any idea where the next step will lead because, currently, that is not what matters- what matters is this current moment.
1. Cherish the little things
I remember learning this little lesson in my psychology class sophomore year. Every class period we had to write down three things we were thankful for. This helped me to look back on the past day or two and not see the negative things, but consider what made me smile. This little practice helped me to remember to cherish the little things that made me happy each day. like how my five year old sister says she loves me, or how the clouds create a pattern I have never seen before, or the how the sky is tinted purple after a beautiful sunset.
2. Write it Out
I have also found that journaling is one of the best experiences for positivity. I love writing, but when you are journaling there is no structure and no rules just writing out whatever you feel like writing. If you were to take a peak at my journal you would find song lyrics on one page, a fully thought out debate with counter arguments and works cited on the next page, and then maybe on the next page you would find a poor drawing of a plant that I thought was pretty. That is the beauty of a journal—you don't have to write a play-by-play of things that you did each day; in fact, you don't even have to write in it every day. It's just a good way to write out your feelings making you feel rejuvenated afterwards.
3. Talk to somebody
When you are struggling with something in your mind, it can be hard to come out of, because it is consuming your thoughts. A way I try to combat this is I surround myself with people I love. Just spending time with my friends or talking to my family will brighten my mood because I get out of my head for a while. If you don't have those core people who are guaranteed to cheer you talk to somebody- it can be anybody everybody has a story to tell and frustrations that they have to deal with. Although it can be a bit scary to talk to new people the pay off is well worth it.
4. Listen to Somebody
By listening to someone else it takes time away from yourself and lets you be open to different perspectives. It allows you to stop dwelling on your own problems and try to help someone else out. Even if you don't end solving anything just hearing what the other person has to say is valuable and is not only helpful for your mental well being, but someone else's as well.
5. Put your headphones in
Music can be so therapeutic, once you put the earbuds in you can block out the world around you and refocus on what is important and forget the problem that has been bothering you. There is nothing that instantly boosts my mood than the song "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles or "Dancing Queen" by ABBA. So put those earbuds and turn up whatever ever jam turns your frown upside down.
6. Accomplish Something
Just accomplish something. It doesn't have to be something big. I try to clean my room or do laundry. Doing this gives me time away from the other issues that were bothering me. Doing a simple task, and completing the task always makes me feel so much better. Completing a task helps to refocus me, while giving me a nice self esteem boost.
Of course this list is not all inclusive. Everyone is a little different you have to see what works out for you. These are a few of things that put me in a better state of mind.
