6 Ways to Maintain a Positive Attitude in Stressful Times

It’s very easy to be dragged down by the stress and pressure of everyday life and once you’re down it’s even easier to stay there, beaten and tired, muddling from day to day. The choice to live your life with a more positive attitude is always the right choice. But it is a choice that will take work and time. Everyone is different and one of the hardest things in life can be figuring out what in the world will make us happy. It’s an experiment that lasts a lifetime, but there are a few things that have been proven to help keep a positive attitude, especially in times of stress.

1. Make Lists.
A great way to put your problems into perspective is to sit down in a quiet place, away from the sources of your stress, and make a list of everything that is causing you anxiety. Laying everything out on paper can make your problems seem smaller and easier to manage. The next step it so make a second list of one thing that you can do to fix each problem. Use the second list as a to-do list!

2. Meditate.
What comes to mind when many people think of meditation is an old, bald monk sitting with his legs crossed on a pillow on the top of a mountain, chanting a mantra. But that’s not all meditation is. Meditation is about being in control of your mind and that is often the first step to creating a positive attitude for yourself despite stress from the world around you.

3. Exercise.
The choice to get up in the morning and go for a jog can be a difficult one when stress and exhaustion have already taken over. But just doing fifteen minutes of yoga in the morning can release an extra boost of endorphin that can give you a more positive outlook to face the day with. A quick workout in the morning can wake you and get your blood pumping faster than any cup of coffee and won’t have the negative side effects of a crash later in the day. If you’re absolutely not a morning person, walking on a treadmill while watching TV or choosing to take the stairs instead of the elevator can help you feel better too!

4. Cut Out Unhealthy Foods.
It doesn’t have to be a dramatic diet change but small changes to what you put in your body can make a big difference. Although it is tempting in stressful times to take solace with a few drinks after work, alcohol is a depressant and can ultimately make you feel worse. Foods that are clearly unhealthy for you and have little nutritional value can make your body feel lethargic and sluggish. By cutting out just the occasional junk food for a healthier option, it can not only make your body feel better but you’ll feel better on the inside knowing that you resisted temptation. For those willing to go to the extreme, there’s always cutting out caffeinated drinks. It’s guaranteed to make you feel better after the withdrawal ends, but it can be difficult until then!

5. Live In the Now.
By focusing on what you do have rather than what you could have, you can decrease the amount of time you spend wishing and increase the time you spend appreciating. It really comes down to choosing to live your life in a “half full” mentality. You could say that your life doesn’t have a high paying job that gets you lots of respect and the newest smartphone, or you could look at it as, ‘In my life, I have a loving family, a roof over my head and an income that allows me to travel from time to time.’

6. Try Something New.
Sometimes, you start to feel like you’re in a rut. You may find yourself going to work, driving home, eating dinner, watching TV and doing it all over again day after day. This monotony can lead to the things in life becoming mundane and harder to appreciate. Shaking up this pattern should help you to break up the routine and see your life in a new light. Trying something new could be as complicated as taking a trip somewhere, as local as joining a bowling team or as simple as buying a new set of pens with wacky monsters on the ends to use at work.