3 Ways To Stay Positive in the Midst of Adversity

Finding it difficult to stay positive these days?

You’re not alone. For many people, myself included, the stress of life today and all we’ve been through in recent years, makes it all too easy to fall back into a “doom and gloom” outlook on the world around us. Unfortunately, that negativity doesn’t only harm ourselves — but it has an impact on our our families, our relationships, our teams, our companies, and our communities, too.

Given all that is going and that we have to contend with on a daily basis these days, how can we stay positive in a genuine way? While there’s no quick fix or magic formula, there are three things I believe we can do to help us stay positive in our most difficult moments.

#1 — Be Honest

Whenever we’re facing challenges, obstacles, or difficult circumstances, it’s important for us to be honest about how we truly feel. The most common feelings that we experience at these times are anger, fear, and shame. We feel angry that something bad has happened, and we feel afraid that the circumstances may remain challenging or even get worse. We can also feel ashamed that we’ve ended up in the situation in the first place.

Needless to say, these emotions are ones we often don’t like to admit, feel, or express. However, like all emotions, when we acknowledge them, own them, and express them they have a way of dissipating. In the process, we can free ourselves from their negative impact, so we can retain a more positive outlook on the world around us.

#2 — Be Conscious

In order to stay positive, it’s important for us to be conscious of what we’re thinking, feeling, and saying in the given moment. Without judgment, see if you can be aware of everything that is going on within you and how you’re reacting to what’s happening.

In the midst of stress and adversity, we have a tendency to think, say, and do things that don’t actually make the situation better. In some cases, those actions make things a whole lot worse. Think about it: we complain, we worry, we speak negatively about life, others, and ourselves. Maybe we binge watch shows, scroll for hours on our phone, overeat, drink too much, or we do various other things that don’t serve us.

Ultimately, the more conscious we can be about our feelings, thoughts, words, and actions, the more likely we’ll be able to stay positive. More importantly, when we’re mindful, we’re better able to learn and grow from whatever adversity we may be facing.

#3 — Be Grateful

It may seem counter-intuitive to be grateful in the face of challenges However, these moments are usually the most important times to focus on what we appreciate about ourselves, others, and life in general.

When things don’t go the way we want them to, we can stay positive by taking inventory of the good stuff in our lives. Adversity can remind us that while things may be tough, we have so many blessings. Think about your health, your job, your home, and all the people who love you.

We may even find that there are things we can appreciate about adversity. For example, we may realize we’re stronger than we thought we were or we have more support around us than we fully appreciated. Difficulties can also teach us some important lessons about ourselves and life.

Take some time right now to think about some of the things that fill you with gratitude. It’s common to not pay much attention to these things as we rush through our lives, so don’t be afraid to use difficult moments as an opportunity to reflect, even if it may be hard to do so. There is always a lot for us to be grateful for, as long as we choose to pay attention to it.

Stay Positive: Remember, This Too Shall Pass

It’s important to take the time to recognize the impact that our difficulties have on us. We don’t want to minimize or trivialize challenges. At the same time, though, we don’t want to let these difficulties hold us back from living our lives.

It’s possible for us to remain open, optimistic, and positive in the face of any and all difficulty and uncertainty. This doesn’t mean we have to be superhuman, or that we aren’t allowed to feel anything less than happy. It does mean, however, that we choose to be honest, conscious, and grateful in the midst of what’s going on. And, if we choose to do so, we can have this be a time of reflection, rejuvenation, and transformation for us and those around us.

Be kind to yourself as you make your way through this process and see if you can be present in as many moments as possible. And, when in doubt, remember that this too shall pass.

How do you stay positive? Share your thoughts, tips, and examples in the comments below!