“You should be positive!”

“You will get over it!”

These are statements we usually hear when we are going through frustrating times, and let’s be honest does it really help? No. We all have our moments where we don’t feel our best and it can be really hard to stay hopeful and positive. There are days when we feel uncertain about our future. There are moments when we can’t get the results we want to see even when we try so much.

Oftentimes, what I hear the most among my family members and friends is how much of an optimistic person I am. I remember one of the earliest times I heard this was from my physics teacher when I was about to graduate high school. My yearbook was signed along with a message that read: “Tamanna, you are one of the most positive people I have ever met!” I was taken aback from this and how a few other classmates also said the same thing.

When I really come to think of it, this positive energy and outlook comes from my perspective and including moments for myself. I see the world with hope rather than seeing it as one that has despair. It gives me a sense of purpose that not everything is completely lost and gone yet. I also truly believe that you can’t be happy with anyone else unless you are happy with yourself first.

a few steps closer to your best self:

I don’t think that someone can become a positive person right away, but what I do believe is that it all starts from you. If you really want to, you can make it happen with your mindset. These are a few things I do for myself which can be of some value.

• Journal: when I feel really overwhelmed or a lot is going on in my mind, I make an effort to write in my journal. I feel much lighter and can process my own thoughts more easily. (I also started to add stickers to make it more exciting)!

• Gratitude: when you take the time to focus and appreciate the good in your life, you get reminded of how valuable those moments, things, and people are to you.

• Alone Time: maybe it’s because I’m an introvert but I really enjoy my own company. Going for a walk outside, listening to music, watching a good series or movie, even just not doing anything. Spend some time with yourself! You deserve it, even when you feel like you don’t.

• Not Serious: don’t take anything and yourself too seriously. I realized that many of the things that we stress or worry about feel much bigger in our minds than it really is. What we can’t control, we shouldn’t hold onto it.

Of course I have moments where I’m not feeling the best and can be irritable and gloomy. But when I practice even one of these moments for myself, it makes me feel at ease. In return when I am feeling like myself again that energy can be felt with those around me. I think progress is better than nothing. If you practice even one of these things for yourself, you are already using your mindset in a positive way.