Hello, I hope you are all doing ok.
I am doing good. I’ve been thinking a lot about how I manage stressful situations and I have been trying to handle them with a more positive mindset.
I believe being positivie is good for my mental health.
Let’s face it, at some point in our lives we will have struggles. These struggles can make us feel extremely low and at the very worst make us want to just give up on everything.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I share what I am going through, the advice I get is somewhere along the lines of, cheer up, be positive, it could be worse.
I know that these comments are from a place of love and maybe a place of not knowing what the hell to say to an upset, hysterical me.
It’s just that when you feel like crap, it’s really hard to take the advice.
I am all about trying to find ways to get through tough times because life doesn’t just stop when you’re feeling overwhelmed, sad or just in a negative headspace.
So, I have been trying to look for the silver lining in every situation.
That bloody silver lining can be tricky to find in those grey, overcast clouds that sometimes fill our minds.
Positive thinking is all about your mindset.
I get it, there is so much chatter about mindset these days but the way you think impacts the things that you do and the way that you react in every situation.
It may feel somewhat uncomfortable when looking deep within yourself to try and undo your way of thinking. However, if you’re familiar with the feeling that you get when it seems that everything is spiraling out of control and you’re about to burst, then surely trying something new is worth a shot.
I am going to share some of the things that I have been doing lately to begin my journey of changing my mindset and how they are impacting my day-to-day life.
When something goes wrong, it is really easy to forget about all the things that have gone right. We are so bogged down with the negative, the positive becomes a distant memory.
Instead of focusing all of my energy on what went wrong.
Instead of going over and over the problem and possible scenarios I could have constructed instead of the one that I did.
I put my energy into what has gone right. I think about what I have learned from the daft mistake I made. I think about how I will move forward and I plan. (I love a good list)
And then my good people, I let it go. I don’t dwell or overthink. I just think to myself, it is what it is!
I think about all the good things in my life and I thank God for them. This act of gratitude really pulls me out of that negative space because my focus is on the positive things. If I am finding something particularly hard, I write down everything that I am grateful for and read it a couple of times.
Sometimes I have to go to the bare bones and start with things like, my home, I’m alive, I have food in my cupboards, etc
However big or small you think these things are, by the time you have finished writing your list you will feel better.
Another thing that I am doing to try and keep a positive mindset is… now try not to stop breathing when I say this haha
Relinquishing control. Yep, I said it, I am trying to let go of that need to control everything that so many of us have.
Trying to control every single aspect of every single situation is exhausting and actually impossible.
When you try so hard to maintain control and then realise you are not super-human, you just end up with a horrible feeling of failure. You think you have let people down.
You think that you aren’t good enough. It’s disastrous.
This has to be my new favourite thing to do. I love it.
I kid you not, my household has become less stressful now that I am not an absolute control freak.
Positive mindset people, positive thinking.
Instead of looking around the house and seeing a never-ending list of things that need doing. I look around and of course, I still see the sink full of dishes or the spill marks on the floor but I don’t turn into a drill sergeant and shout orders at everyone. (Yes I did this before – I am a bad person lol)
I take a breath, make a list of the jobs that need doing, stick it to something, ask the family to have a look at it and then I walk away.
I don’t take charge, I trust that my family will pull together and get things done. I have come to understand that it doesn’t have to be done on my time, it just needs to be done.
I then let it go. I keep a positive mindset that it’ll all be ok, the house will be tidied. I do my bit and then that’s it.
Now, I know some of you are thinking, “You’re joking right! My family wouldn’t even notice the note” but give it a try, see what happens. My boys rush to the note to put their names next to the jobs they want to do, funnily enough, no one opts to clean the litter tray.
The most important thing is that you don’t get annoyed at the outcome.
If it doesn’t work for you, it is what is it. Try something else. Be positive that you’ll find the right thing for your family. If it does work for you, BONUS!
Doing this has resulted in me feeling less stressed, less irritated and more positive about other things that need doing. I go into them with the mindset that it’ll be ok and it usually is.
O,k I’m going to share one last thing because this has got to be my longest blog yet. If you’re still reading then thank you so much.
I do not take on too much at any one time. I used to think I could do everything and for some reason believed I could survive on 4 – 5 hours of sleep. I was wrong. Feeling tired all of the time made things that were a little difficult feel like they were extremely difficult.
If I am tired, I rest. I can’t help feeling like I am being lazy or wasting precious time if I rest, but I am re-training my brain. Listening to your body is so important and we have to be careful not to run ourselves down to the point where we can’t function.
Exhaustion and stress are real and they can have many negative effects on our health.
If my friends want to make plans but I am tired, I say no. My positive mind says, “It’s ok you can go next time.”
If I have heaps of work to do and think about staying up late, I do not. I go to bed and come back to it in the morning. My positive mind says, “A refreshed brain is more productive than a fatigued one.”
If I am too tired to cook an elaborate meal, noodles for dinner it is. My positive mind says, “An apple for dessert gives us some nutrition at least lol!”
I try to get to bed at a reasonable time so that I can relax and clear my mind before I sleep. I am not one of those people who can sleep as soon as their head touches the pillow. (unlike the Hubby)
Honestly, taking charge of my time makes me feel great.
Feeling energised and taking some pressure off myself makes it easier to have that positive mindset. It’s harder to find the silver lining when you’re knackered.
There are more things that I am trying but maybe I’ll share those in a different blog.
Be kind to yourself, be positive, be grateful.
Thank you for being here.
I’ll write again soon but for now bye.
MomandMore 
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