How to Keep Doubt From Destroying Your Dreams

June 12th, 2008 BonnieMcFarland Posted in Self Help No Comments »

“I can’t make any money doing this.”

“This is too good to be true.”

“Maybe I just don’t have what it takes to do this.”

“I’m never going to figure this out.”

“I guess I’m not going to find something I’m passionate about.”

“I’m not sure any more that I really want to do this.”

I’ve heard these doubts and many others from my clients as they follow their dreams, desires, and passions. Doubt seems to be a normal part of the busy human mind, one of Monkey Mind’s favorite flavors.

Do you have thoughts that lead you to mistrust yourself, your vision, or your path?

Doubt can squeeze its tendrils around your mind, feed on itself, and, just like a wild vine, take over.

Doubt makes you uncertain, unsure, and confused. The doubting mind can’t even be certain of its doubts. Thoughts whirl around in your head, often the same ones over and over. It’s easy to become shaky and fearful, to begin to question and distrust everything, to get stalled, and to delay taking action.

Doubting, doubting, doubting also saps your energy. Eventually you may stop moving forward or give up completely. There goes your dream!

It doesn’t have to be this way. You don’t have to let doubt run - or ruin!- your life. Try doubting your doubt.

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

One of my clients had been searching for her passion for a long, long time without success. She came to me to see if I could help her discover her passion. In our first few hours together, we identified a number of things that lit her up and that she was passionate about. Good news!

Within two weeks of that initial clarity, she came across an opportunity that would allow her to work from home, travel a little, and do something that she thought was so much fun she couldn’t possibly get paid for doing it.

All of this lit her up so much she was on fire when she told me about it. In the midst of her excitement, though, she kept saying, “This is just too good to be true.” That thought (which she had been having repetitively) was getting in the way of fully savoring and pursuing this opportunity.

Was it too good to be true? Maybe, maybe not. She didn’t have enough information to know. Asking “Is this too good to be true?” over and over kept her busy whirling around in circles and it wasn’t producing any useful answers.

So how could she get some useful answers? First, she needed to identify some intelligent questions.

I asked her what “due diligence” would help her discern if this was a viable opportunity. She quickly came up with “ask the organization for names of people who have made money doing this” and “check the Better Business Bureau.” Just identifying these questions halted her whirling mind and gave her more clarity and focus. She got off the phone energized to get these and other intelligent questions answered.

As she does this, her increased knowledge will decrease her qualms and ease her fears of the unknown. She can then choose to move forward with this opportunity or to find another path.

IN YOUR LIFE

When your mind is filled with doubts, going back and forth in your head is more likely to increase your uncertainty and confusion than to help you. To reduce your doubt and fear of the unknown, here’s a way to begin doubting your doubt.

* What are you doubting? What are you saying to yourself that is creating your uncertainty? Write this down.

* Identify five to ten intelligent questions related to whatever it is that you have qualms about. Write them down.

* Get answers to those questions.

* Allow the information you gather to decrease your misgivings and fear and to guide your next choices and actions.

By the way, if you can’t come up with intelligent questions that is a big clue it’s just your Monkey Mind talking. In which case, thank it for sharing and turn your attention to your dream, your desire, your vision, your next step.

Doubt your doubts, not your dreams. As Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”

Bonnie McFarland works with women at midlife who are bored, stuck, or restless and wondering what to do with the rest of their lives. Visit www.labellavia.com for her free e-book and ezine to create more pleasure, passion, and purpose in your life.

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Natural Anxiety Remedy For Depression

June 12th, 2008 MikeSchlacter Posted in Self Help No Comments »

If you’ve ever found yourself paranoid while going down a street or jumping at the slightest sound inside a store you may have anxiety. Anxiety is when someone becomes overly afraid of something or jumpy. This is an anxious feeling that is developed suddenly, it can stem from something as early on as childhood or something that has currently happened. There is a way to get help for your anxiety through doctors, therapy and even natural anxiety remedies.

Massage- Many may not believe it but something as simple as a body massage can make all the tension leave your body and this works for anxiety as well. A Swedish massage is generally the most common. Some may not know it by the name but this is the smooth strokes up and down the body. Oil may be used but only if the patient wants it, otherwise the body is caressed in smooth circular movements. Slowly the body will begin to relax and in rare cases a person may cry when the stress leaves their body. Other massages one might enjoy are Thai, Shiatsu, back, hot stone or even a deep tissue.

Passionflower- If you are really into experimenting you can try using the passionflower. This is an herb/flower that dates back to the Aztec people. This beautiful purple flower has been used in insomnia patients, depression, anxiety and many other illnesses. Do not mix this up with its cousin the bluepassion flower.

Yoga- Or another form of mind relaxing can definitely work if you are in an area where you can sit and relax. Place your mind somewhere else that pleases you, this can be a meadow, creak or a place you feel calm. Sometimes it is not wise to try to do this, such as inside a car. If you feel the need to relax your mind you may just want to play some soft music or pull the vehicle over in order to do it.

Breathing- By slowing down and concentrating on your breathing you can actually let the stress out. Try closing your eyes and counting to ten, believe it or not it does work. Another thing is you take a deep breath, hold it and release. This allows you to suck in the good area and exhale the bad, you’ll also feel refreshed.

Aromatherapy- Have you ever smelled something that brought you back to a time that you loved? Smelled something that made a smile grow across your face? These are pleasing scents and should be around you as much as possible. Stock up on some candles and matches and light up your home every night and just sit in front and enjoy the aroma as it envelopes you, taking all the fears away.

Tea- Yes, while caffeine can help trigger an anxiety attack chamomile tea can help relieve it. There are a ton of herbal teas out there ready to help you, even lavender can help you sleep, but there are actually teas you should avoid such as black tea. No one likes to suffer from anxiety, hopefully these natural anxiety remedies will help you to overcome it.

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Simple Ways of Preventing Panic Attacks

June 12th, 2008 MikeSchlacter Posted in Self Help No Comments »

Preventing panic attacks is a must for your well-being. Imagine walking down the street and suddenly being paralyzed with fear that someone is watching you. You quickly rush home, lock your doors, make sure the windows are shut tight and worry. You worry someone will get in and how you’d get out if they actually broke in. Overwhelmed with fear, sweat beads down your face and you begin to tremble. If you’ve ever experienced something like this you were probably having a panic attack. Panic attacks come and go without warning, but there are ways to actually avoid one from happening.

The best ways of avoiding panic attack is by learning ways to prevent one from occurring. Yes, this sounds easier than it really is. The first thing you’ll need to do is figure out what causes your attacks to come on. Do you get anxious in crowded places? If you do have attacks try going at a less crowded time. Sometimes time can’t be avoided, instead if it is for shopping make a list of what you’ll need before going. Go off that list and get through the store. Don’t rush, rushing only speeds up your blood pressure and makes matters worse.

Some panic attacks come in the form of literally getting sick while others are only things getting on your nerves. A person may vomit, hot flashes, dizziness and even headaches, some recognize these right away while others dismiss them as something totally different. By learning the signs of your own panic attacks can help you prevent them in the future. The next time you have one jot it down inside a journal, remember all things. Where were you? How did you feel? Was it a scent? People? Day or night? Location? Once you’ve done this you are one step closer to avoiding the next one.

Not all panic attacks are small, some actually become very dangerous, one might have an asthma attack, heart attack or go into a diabetic shock. When one begins to focus on what is wrong with them they tend to start freaking out. Don’t! Stop and think about what is causing it and think of how you can overcome it. Getting excited about it will speed the blood pressure, stop your breathing and drop your sugar rate, causing all types of things to go wrong.

Need a reason to want to learn to prevent a panic attack? Simple. Imagine yourself having a child that is going to be on stage for a performance and would love for you to be there. Only problem is you have panic attacks in closed areas, or inside crowds. By learning ways to prevent the attack you’ll be able to go, watch your child and maybe even shake a few hands in the end. Watch the joy on your child’s face and it’ll be worth it.

If these don’t seem to help try visiting a psychiatrist and seeing what their advice is. Maybe your problem is deeper than you think, the only way of knowing is to get professional help. If you really don’t want to go to a psychiatrist you can get a full physical done at the hospital and find out if you have any other illnesses. This will normally show you if there is something else going on in your body and is the perfect chance to tell your doctor your fears.

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The Nature of Positive Thoughts

June 12th, 2008 RobertKokoska Posted in Self Help No Comments »

Man is always attracted towards everything that is metaphysical and psychological; leading psychologists have always believed in the matter of mind, which is capable of performing stupendous things for self growth and development. On the flip side, they are also worried by a mind that is out of control, with many manifestations of disease and illness as the final result. It is always believed that human beings could achieve anything and everything under the sun, provided they possess a mind that is tough and intelligent.

As a corollary, they also believed that people who have achieved a high degree of personal success, always showed an elevated level of positive thoughts and beliefs. Positive thoughts are known to assist a person in achieving those goals and targets, which can not be achieved by a person with a negative mindset.

Understanding positive thought requires considerable amount of intelligence and wisdom. Positive thoughts are so surreal and mysterious; man has always been baffled by the fact that some people are more endowed with a high level of self belief and positive thoughts, while many people lack this natural gift, due to unknown reasons. Positive thoughts seem to originate from the mind, and its flow is always controlled by the person. Though most of us have positive thoughts deep in our mind, we may never experience it in its full potential or may experience only during some time in our life. Is it possible to control the flow of positive thoughts at a uniform rate?

It is possible to develop positive thoughts and feelings by adjusting the way in which we think and behave. There are several innovative methods prescribed by many leading experts and often these methods do help us in developing a positive us. However the basic methodology is almost similar in all techniques. If you want to develop a positive personality, you will also need to consider driving away all negative thoughts; it is probably like two opposite faces of a coin. Positive and negative minds are dual in nature. When one of them shows its dominance, other will be in its dormancy. This perceptible shift in alternating domination and dormancy state of mind is the ultimate factor that makes us either positive in nature or negative in behavior.

Is it possible to retain positive thoughts as our dominating entity in our mind? Conversely, can we suppress the negative part of our personality by using some methods? Theoretically both are distinct possibilities, provided we have some genuine methods to follow. Though it is almost impossible to drive away our negative aspect of personality, it is also possible to mask such negative part of the personality with fresh, continuous positive thoughts.

It is just like filling in fresh, crystal clear water slowly, inch by inch, to replace a mass of water that is dirty and stained. Another analogy is to fill in a glass of water with crystal clear water and add black ink, so that the whole glass of water becomes dark and negative. Now when you add fresh water slowly, drop by drop, and replace the whole glass full of dark water, the resulting water mass is all crystal clear and pure. Our mind actually works in a similar manner.

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What is Positive Psychology?

June 12th, 2008 RobertKokoska Posted in Self Help No Comments »

Human psychology is always painted negative and as a study of negative human behavior; basically we perceive psychology as a sign of trouble, and thus attempt to correlate it to such destructive issues like depression, psychosis, unhappiness, mental disorders and mania. Sadly most of the clinical examinations also tend to look at psychology, as something that is a malady and most of the treatment attempts are aimed at treating the disease than stopping them from happening. Thus there is a pressing need for a new, revived way of looking at the old concept of psychology.

Also called Positive Psychology, this area is more concerned with the sunnier side of psychology, which is the area of those people, who are happy and move with confidence, wherever they go and whatever they do. Positive psychology may shed more light on why some people behave in such a pleasing manner and how they have developed that trait. Ultimately, this intense study may help us to find a lasting cure for many of our negative psychological conditions and other eccentric behaviors.

Positive Psychology is a new attempt to redefine and readjust the existing disparity or imbalance, to encourage and support psychologists to try and attempt to contribute to positive aspects of human life, not only just perform something about negative things. Being a new branch of psychology, this field is still in its infant stage and is hotly contested for its veracity and advantages, by both detractors and supporters. Some of them tend to neglect this new theory, while others vouch for its authenticity. Many of them never believe in the concept of joy, love, positive talk, optimism and love, while others see a broad daylight in professing the techniques of all good human behavior to cure any psychological malady.

New theories of positive psychology condemns the traditional practice of treating psychological patients as mere numbers or objects, and also the supporters of the new theory disapprove the current methods of approaching a sensitive issue as important as psychology. Many experts who support the positive psychology theory have varied ideas about what actual psychology is and how it can best be researched to solve many perennial problems. However, these experts are united by a view that, normal human beings possess excellent qualities, and that we can still be capable enough to make better choices about what we believe and do, in spite of all those unfortunate events, occurred due to reasons beyond our control or by factors of our genetic disposition.

Positive psychology often relies heavily on the principle of optimism, which is a cherished positive parameter of human excellence. There is remarkable evidence that optimistic people are usually happier and highly productive than ultra pessimists. Optimism can also be taught and learned by human beings. According to the new theory, there tends to be a positive flow of things in those people who are highly optimistic and cheerful. This flow is usually not checked in them, in any manner, at any time and thus this set of positive flow causes a person to be tougher mentally and psychologically. Positive psychology and its application may take a while to be universally accepted for clinical practice.

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Tips For Maintaining a Positive Attitude

June 12th, 2008 RobertKokoska Posted in Self Help No Comments »

Highly successful people exhibit an impeccable attitude of positive behavior and there is nothing these people cant achieve in their life. There is absolutely nothing they cannot aspire to be and there is simply nothing they cannot possess! These people are the masters of positive attitude, a self realized energy that propels them towards the path of greatness. You can do whatever you want if you have the power of positive attitude. How you steer your life, depends on how you adjust your attitude; a positive attitude will help you develop a successful career, while a negative attitude will create more problems in your personal life.

Attitude is a state of your mind; it also tests your patience and stress. If you handle your stress with optimism and hope, youll come out of the clutches of despair and hopelessness. A positive attitude will also ensure that you stay optimistic in whatever do you do and perform in your life. Optimists are effective in countering any form of stress or problem to emerge as ultimate winners, while a pessimist is likely to deny the existence of problem and run away from the source of problem as well. An optimist invariably becomes successful in achieving his cherished goals, while a pessimist can never hope to become successful, because of his negative attitude.

More often the trait of positive attitude is developed from the time we are adolescent A person shows a high degree of positive attitude, if he/she grows in an environment, that is highly positive and immensely hopeful. People with a positive attitude always look at things very positively and respond to any tricky situation with positive answers like, Yes, I can do it, It is achievable, It is perfectly possible and I am capable. While negatively inclined people always complain about people and situations and are always pessimistic in what ever they think and do.

If you have been showing an extreme negative attitude in your life and always expecting failure and tragedies, it is now the right time to alter the way you think and behave. It is also a correct time to get rid of those negative thoughts and behavior and achieve cherished goals for a happy life. Here are some of the suggested ways to get rid of those bad, negative feelings and develop right attitude and positive mindset, in their place:

1. When you see the signs of a negative attitude or feelings creeping in your mind, say STOP; instead start visualizing those vividly beautiful pictures of success and contentment.

2. Experts suggest a novel way of stopping negative thoughts from your mind. Though this method is a bit difficult to master, you can try them at your own leisure. Thought stopping process involves two basic stages: a driving mechanism to shoo away all those negative feelings and perceptions and an infiltration mechanism whereby your negative mind is infiltrated with positive thoughts and feelings.

3. Self talk and positive affirmations are known scientific mind principles which can help you develop positive mindset. Develop your own self talk and affirmation statement and start talking to yourself on a regular basis.

4. Another unusual method is to create sticky notes with positive statements like, I can do it, I am capable, Success is mine and I have a purpose, and to stick them up on your car dashboard, study table, personal diary, study room cupboard and dining places, where you can see the message everyday and night.

5. Get acquainted with highly successful people with tangible achievements. Right association and acquaintance will make things easy for you to develop positive attitude.

6. Start reading all those positive self help books and magazine. Attend to self help workshops and seminars.

Positive thoughts can only be instilled by you and not by anyone else. It is an internal mechanism and thus it needs your effort and dedication. It may take considerably long time, but it is priceless when you achieve it.

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The Power of Positive Affirmations

June 12th, 2008 RobertKokoska Posted in Self Help No Comments »

Our minds work on basically two levels; the conscious and the sub-conscious. Our conscious mind is what we are aware of at any one moment, whereas our sub-conscious mind is like a store of information that is, at any one time, outside of our immediate awareness. The sub-conscious mind also has another part to it called the creative sub-conscious. The creative sub-conscious has four functions which combine to make us the person that we are and, more importantly, as we see ourselves. Put another way, it maintains our reality or self-perception. A simple example here would be if you think you’re not a confident public speaker, when put in the situation of speaking in public you’ll end up speaking poorly as that’s how you see yourself and that’s what you believe.

Other functions of the creative sub-conscience include goal creation, the drive to achieve those goals and solving our problems. So, a thought should occur here that, if in my sub-conscience I thought I was a poor public speaker I would have a problem to solve. So, in my sub-conscience I can create the goal of over-coming my poor public speaking and that same sub-conscience will help me achieve the goal. Sounds pretty simple eh?

Its a known fact that we can train our sub-conscious to eliminate negative thoughts and replace them with positive and constructive ones; this is called making a positive affirmation. For example, I know if I stand in front of a mirror and tell myself I am a good public speaker and repeat it over and over daily, next time I have to speak in public Ill have lost at least some of that self-doubt about my own abilities and be much more confident about public speaking than before.

If you like Ill convince myself I can speak in public, then when I have to do it Ill be more relaxed and thereby more able to cope with the situation. I will have changed my self-perception in my creative sub-conscience, from one of not being able to do something to being entirely comfortable with it. The change in my self-perception might even mean that I seek help in public speaking or join a debating society so I can practice public speaking, all of which will reinforce my new positive self-image.

In essence that is Positive Affirmations, being positive about yourself, whatever your self perception might be, if its a poor one you can change it. As the old song goes Accentuate the positive, Eliminate the negative. Another tip with positive affirmations is; don’t just say them to yourself, write them down and read them to yourself. Put a copy of them in your planner or diary, somewhere that you’ll not see and read them once day, but frequently throughout the day. Then when you’ve achieved one goal - set yourself another.

One last comment; I know that my feelings also depend on my thoughts, so think positive and you will feel good too.

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12 Golden Rules To Achieve Happiness

June 12th, 2008 LynnZingel Posted in Self Help No Comments »

Positive and constructive thoughts will achieve anything you put your mind to do. Believe it or not - YOU are in control.

Can you really consider your happy? The reply is a resounding “Yes”.

Here are some ways in which optimistic and constructive thoughts can help you transform your life.

Like produces like. If you think positive thoughts; these thoughts will reflect in the end result. We can either complain and grumble over our circumstance or alter it.

What are you going to choose;negativity or enthusiasm? President Lincoln said “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Again it is a choose you need to make. What are you going to do? It is hard and tricky to think happiness and contentment when society is full of hostility and violent behaviour. I believe it can be done!

We cannot change others but can only change ourselves. Are you going to be that one person with that one idea, with that one positive thought that can change the society in which we live in today.

How, then, can we make ourselves happy? Let us be the one to remind others that there is integrity and righteousness in the world.

1. Look out for positive people to relate to and connect with

2. WE have access to brilliant books, music and movies. Make yourself available to these

3. Decide one thing that is important to you. Chase after it.

4. Show thoughtfulness, appreciation and value towards others.

5. Make it a goal to live today as if it is the last.

6. Let us be that constructive and affirmative force wherever and whenever we can.

7. Use visualization methods to view the positive aspects of your life.

8. Guard your mouth and speak in an encouraging tone.

9. Yoga and exercise will go a long away towards a positive attitude.

10. Let us be expectant but let that be coupled with a positive approach.

11. Walk in tranquility, peace and harmony.

12. Don’t beat yourself over the head; you are your own best friend. Speak nicely to yourself.

Here are some quotes on unhappiness which illustrates how destructive it can be in our lives

If you deliberately plan on being less than you are capable of being, then I warn you that you’ll be unhappy for the rest of your life. — Abraham H. Maslow

Unhappiness is not knowing what we want, and killing ourselves to get it. — Don Herold

I am more and more convinced that our happiness or our unhappiness depends far more on the way we meet the events of life than on the nature of those events themselves. — Karl Wilhelm von Humboldt

All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you.

The only thing blame does is to keep the focus off you when you are looking for external reasons to explain your unhappiness or frustration.

You may succeed in making another feel guilty about something by blaming him, but you won’t succeed in changing whatever it is about you that is making you unhappy. — Wayne Dyer

Happiness is not a hereditary trait we are born with. It is implanted in us by our parents and those we love. It is up to us, then, to observe it, partake in it, and construct our lives around it. Think happy, and you will be happy.

Lynn Zingel is the author and editor of http://www.icando.co.nz. Here you will find words of encouragement, inspiration, and challenge to change.

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5 Techniques To Cope With Stress In Your Life

June 12th, 2008 LynnZingel Posted in Self Help No Comments »

We all go through it sometime or another; this intruder called stress. It is part of life and we all feel stressed at some time. Too much stress can be harmful and is possibly the first cause of ill health today. How we interpret and deal with stress is a crucial factor.

Allow us to explore 6 techniques to deal with the stress in your life in a healthy and efficient way.

• Discuss the troubles you are going through with acquaintance, loved ones or a professional person. “Bottling” it within will only produce more troubles later on. There are many support groups with people experiencing similar problems.

• Exercise is important for relieving your tension. Exercise stimulates the delivery of certain chemical substances in your brain, called neurotransmitters. These substances help your body to react to stress. People who improve their exercise habits change in their mental attitudes which give them the building blocks to better cope with the stress.

• Listening to your preferred music is great way of bringing down stress and relieving anxiety.

• Healthy meals can become a crucial ingredient in restricting your tension. See to it that you eat three meals a day and make it an attempt to keep off caffeine and sugar. Natural stress supplements are also available. In addition to being safer than prescription medication; natural stress relief can be just as effective if not more so. Consult with your health care professional.

• Sleep deprivation can cause stress. Go to bed early. Seven to eight hours sleep can make all the difference.

Confronting stress can be difficult. Every day it may seem you are forced in every direction, trying to adapt to others. The foremost precedence is to take care of you. You are the thread which holds your family together. If you are stressed, you won’t be much good to anyone.

Take a break every so often. Do something that you desire to do; whether it be purchasing a new outfit or going to a movie. Some solitude is just as essential to you as it is for everyone else. Consider yourself as a gas tank; sooner or later you will conk out .

Laughter is now thought to be a tremendous stress reliever. Didn’t our granny tell us that years ago. Laughter Yoga clubs are springing us and is currently referred to as the “latest exercise craze” .

It is a good idea to acknowledge the kind of situation that causes you to feel stressed so you can learn to recognize it before it materializes and address it in your own way. You may even learn to look a the situation differently next time.

Overcoming and indeed surviving what life throws at us is a never-ending challenge, but if we change stress into a positive energy then it’s a great help. Remember, everyone needs some stress, its only when it becomes overwhelming, relentless and damaging that you need to correct the balance, look after yourself better and make move to reduce its impact on your life.

Life is too fleeting; and stress can shorten it further. Nothing is more significant than your health or frame of mind. Eleanor Roosevelt wisely said. “No one can make you a victim without your consent. “ She is right.

Lynn Zingel is the author and editor of http://www.icando.co.nz. Here you will find words of encouragement, inspiration, and challenge to change.

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Sandwiched Boomers: 6 Ways to Beat the Blues

June 12th, 2008 PhyllisGoldberg, Posted in Self Help No Comments »

Your thoughts are mental products although they don’t necessarily reflect an absolute reality. However, for you, they do represent how you feel. Some people can’t help but wear their hearts on their sleeves. Others are more able to manage their emotions and function as if everything is fine. Born to a single mother with serious financial problems, Debra often struggled with her feelings growing up. Now a married Sandwiched Boomer, with a lot of life experience under her belt, a family of her own, and more responsibility for her mom, she’s dealing better with her emotions:

“I have to work at being more optimistic and worrying less. I no longer dwell so much on the negatives, and looking at things from a more positive perspective is not as hard as I thought it would be.” Just like Debra, you can learn how to reframe your thoughts and take better care of your emotional self. Begin by following these tips:

1. Focus your thoughts on what you can accomplish rather than on what you cannot. Look on the bright side of difficult situations as you create a balance between caring for others and nurturing your personal needs. You may even want to make a schedule until this becomes a routine that is factored into your daily life. Although you often cannot control external circumstances, you can control how you handle them.

2. Honor your body by taking notice of what makes you feel better, both physically and emotionally – pay attention to your exercise routine, what you eat, your sleeping habits and what gives you pleasure. Reduce the situations that cause stress and increase the ones that make you feel more relaxed or alive.

3. Forgive others who are important to you for some past wrongdoing. Watch their reaction and see how that makes you feel. That doesn’t mean you have to totally forget about it. But learn a lesson from the situation and move on, especially for your own good.

4. Practice what you know about being resilient. Recognize how your character strengths support what you do. Integrate your core values and personal ideals into how you view the world. Release tension through laughter and watch yourself begin to bounce back.

5. Knowledge is power. Use it to your advantage. Gather information about ways to deal with how you are feeling - explore Internet search engines or the self-help section of bookstores. Talk about how you are feeling with friends and family whose opinions you respect. Schedule a few sessions with a therapist or a life coach.

6. Support is a valuable tool - connect often. Find a class or workshop through your local university extension program or mental health center. Join an ongoing group or attend a weekend retreat to share concerns and gain new perspective. Spend some time with others who will support your ideas, validate your perceptions and help you follow through with your plans.

It can be difficult to maintain a sense of optimism when emotional circumstances are complicated and perhaps even painful. But you owe it to yourself to begin to better understand and cope with your changing moods. Talking about your negative feelings can increase your awareness and mitigate symptoms. In addition, you need to flip the coin and look on the bright side – for example, recognize the insight, strengths and skills that are already an integral part of you.

Some experts say that you have to feel better before you can change your behavior. Others advise you to behave positively and the feelings will follow. Try something as simple as being friendly when you’re feeling shy, or act happy when you feel sad. You know what happens when someone smiles at you. You can’t help but smile back - and that feels good. Make a commitment to look at life through a more positive lens, starting right now.

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