Do you sometimes feel that the world around you is negative? Do you get easily irritated and frustrated, not knowing how to deal with this negativity, and lack the energy needed to keep going in your life? If so, here are some powerful tips that will help you to keep calm, be positive and deal with the difficulties that you encounter on your way when life gets rough:
1. Escape the trap of blame. Instead of constantly criticizing and blaming others, dare to criticize your own behavior and find out ways to overcome your wrongdoings.
2. Choose your friends carefully. Those who surround you can immensely influence who you are and how you live, so be sure to spend time with those who are cheerful and uplifting.
3. Limit your exposure to negative media. Fear sells and it’s one of the most common tools used by the corporate mainstream media to shape the layman’s worldview and opinions. Select your sources of information and entertainment thoughtfully so as to make sure that they won’t mess up with your psychology.
4. Spend regular time in nature. Living in chaotic cities of concrete, it’s no surprise that the majority of people experience high levels of stress, which brings tremendous negativity into their lives. By spending a couple of hours every day in the calm, beautiful and relaxing environment of nature you’ll start experiencing much more peace and happiness.
5. Be mindful of your everyday behavior. The main reason why our lives are filled with negativity is our own behavior — the thoughts we think, the words we utter, and the ways we act are usually harmful both to ourselves and others. By being more conscious of your actions, you’ll avoid all the above and be able to make better choices that will bring positivity into your life.
6. Focus on what you can control. Many times people try desperately to control people and situations so as to create what they consider the perfect life for themselves, but that’s simply an impossible thing to do, without feeling disappointed, since nobody can completely control all and everything. By letting go of the need to take control over the world, you’ll feel less stress and have more energy to focus on what truly matters.
7. Reduce the amount of stuff you consume. Instead of wasting your time and energy acquiring stuff that will ultimately leave you empty and disappointed, be sure to pursue those things that actually make you fulfilled.
8. Disconnect and relax. Being always busy day in and day out, most people feel constantly stressed and end up being physically and emotionally drained. To boost your happiness and energy levels, be sure to spend some time alone every day in silence, away from technological devices, doing nothing but re-connecting with your self and relaxing your body and soul.
9. Express your mind and heart. The less you honestly express yourself, the more suppressed you’ll be, and hence the more you will fill your psyche with toxic energy. By speaking out your thoughts and emotions, as well as doing more of the things that you love doing, you will feel unburdened from suppressed emotions and experience more happiness and freedom.
10. Keep your body healthy. Most people treat their bodies like a trash can, filling them with toxic food, and neglecting to take care of its needs. If you want to be healthier and feel better, be sure to treat your body the best you can — eat nutritious food, sleep well, and take regular exercise.
11. Focus on the solutions, not the problems. Problems are there so that we can learn from them and overcome them. Instead of looking at them as obstacles, try to use them as stepping stones for your own benefit.
12. Cultivate a compassionate heart. No matter how negative the people that surround you are, fighting against them is never a way to solving your problems — it only brings more negativity and conflict. The only way to make peace with them and create a more positive environment around you is by developing a compassionate attitude.
13. Cultivate a peaceful mind. Mental conflict and agitation are big reasons why we experience negativity in our lives. Practicing meditation will do wonders to help you overcome conflicting thoughts and find mental clarity and inner peace.
14. Take responsibility in your hands. If you are not responsible for your life, you’ll always feel like a victim of circumstances. By taking responsibility, you’ll start feeling more confident and courageous, knowing that you have the power to shape your destiny.
15. Be the change that you want to see in the world. If the world always seems negative around you, that could mean that you project your own negativity onto the world. To help turn the world into a better place, start from turning yourself into a better person.
Sofo Archon is the creator of The Unbounded Spirit, a personal blog through which he is sharing part of his being with millions of readers from every corner of our planet. Created in 2012 out of his thirst to reach out to the world, it has helped form a solid online community of over 300,000 like-minded individuals.
Sofo’s writings touch on a wide range of disciplines, including philosophy, psychology, religion, ecology and economics, but all of them, though different in topic, share something in common: they point to a better way of living.