With the world still gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic and countries that seemed to have defeated this novel virus now experiencing a resurgence, you could be forgiven for feeling a bit dejected. So perhaps its time to lift the veil of despondency and look at some great ways to cheer ourselves up. Let’s shed that pessimism and take a more optimistic view on life. Here are some tips to help you on your way.
Avoid the 24 hour news channels – at least for 24 hours!
The mainstream media thrives on news, which is not surprising as they have to broadcast for twenty-four hours a day, day in and day out throughout the year. That is a lot of content to find, comment upon and present in such as way as they attract, engage, and keep as big an audience as possible.
World events provide a constant stream of content, but unfortunately most of the events from around the world are based on misfortune of one sort or another. Bad news has sadly been predominating recently.
So rather than immerse yourself in the blow by blow effects of the pandemic, why not give yourself a break? Perhaps that tab in your browser that always points to a news site should be shut down. Do you really need that news feed on your smartphone which kindly sends you notifications of new news as it happens?
It is undoubtedly good to be informed about current affairs, but maybe we need to cut back on the news streams and notifications. Become more aware of your “now” rather than the “now” occurring on the other side of the world. Give it a try and see if you feel a bit more positive about your world.
Eat well
We have all heard the saying “you are what you eat” and it seems to have been recognised for many years that eating well promotes good health. When you feel healthy, it promotes an overall feeling of wellbeing that can make you feel happier and more cheerful.
Uh oh, another article that talks about “five a day” and balanced diets, I hear you say, but perhaps there is another slant on eating well that is not as well known.
Of course, healthy food is important so that does include eating more fresh vegetables and fruit and less processed food, but you probably know this already. What about focussing on the processes around eating healthily? Whilst planning meals for the week may seem to be a chore, perhaps thinking about new recipes and food combinations can make this more interesting and challenging. Your family may thank you for thinking imaginatively about their meals and that is sure to be satisfying for you.
But what about the food shopping? This could be made into a positive experience rather than the habit of continually visiting the same supermarket. Whilst it is definitely convenient to know where everything is in your usual supermarket, that familiarity may be making you blind to trying different products. Why not visit a different supermarket for a change, or think about a local deli near me to see what they have to offer. Other local shops may also have some interesting foods that tempt you to experiment.
By taking mundane tasks such as thinking about the weekly meal plan and food shopping and looking at them with a more adventurous attitude, you could transform a chore into an interest and that will cheer you up and be satisfying as you are offering variety as well as healthy eating to your family.
Think positively
Positive thinking is at the core of our quest to take a more optimistic view of our lives. To think positively is easy to say, but hard to achieve when we feel the weight of responsibility of our families, jobs and society. Throw the pandemic and political tensions into the mix and its no wonder that we feel down.
However, maybe positivity can be found in the little aspects of our life that we take for granted. Finding joy in your life is key to positive thinking as this article explains: https://www.rebelliouspixels.com/happiness/how-to-find-joy-in-your-life/.
Turning a chore into an opportunity for change and adventure, as we discussed with food shopping, for example, is a sure fire way of pulling yourself out of the mundane and into creativity and challenge. You don’t need to make big changes to become more positive in your outlook, as little by little, you will find that small changes and adjustments to your lifestyle and approach will be rewarded with a gradual shift towards optimism and increased happiness.
So put down the TV remote control, silence those smartphone notifications and look for all the good things that boost your cheerfulness in your everyday life. Value your world and put the world on pause, at least for a while.