For me, positivity is not something that comes easy to me; it’s hard to find it, and it’s even harder for me to be positive myself. As someone who has had anxiety and depression their whole life—and honestly just harbors blatant pessimism—I constantly expect the worst from anything and everything. At least, for the most part. I’ll elaborate.
Within this last year, I have been trying to be better about being positive because it not only affects my mood greatly, but the moods of others around me. I know many people say this, but I try to find positivity within the small things around me. I will look back at the end of the day and ask myself, “What was something that happened that was positive?” (My dad used to ask me this every day in high school). It’s a good note to leave on at the end of the day as you reflect on your non-negative experiences. These small moments could be that you had a really good coffee today, had a good conversation with a friend, saw a cute dog, felt good about yourself, received a compliment, or were even just productive for the day. I also think of possible positives as bad things that didn’t happen during the day that usually (or sometimes) do. For example, if I didn’t have a panic attack or didn’t have as much anxiety for the day, that is something positive to me as well.
Finding positivity can be hard, especially if your mental well being isn’t in tip top shape—but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. And, in the end, trying to find positivity can help you with whatever you’re struggling with day by day.