We often find ourselves feeling discouraged and hopeless, especially in 2020. I know I have been struggling and I wanted to share 5 ways to stay hopeful and be positive that everyone can implement into their lives to try and keep their spirits lifted!

Things can and will get better. I want to help others and myself fight for our happiness even the toughest of times.

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How to Stay Hopeful and Be Positive

#1 Self Care

Taking care of yourself should always be a priority, but it should be emphasized even more when you’re not feeling your best. 

You will notice that most of my tips for staying hopeful and being positive can directly apply to taking care of yourself, that is because there is direct correlation.

Self-care involves physical, mental, and emotional health. In a perfect world we would be healthy in all these areas, but I know it is a struggle. 

Put effort, time, and energy into yourself. Make self-care a priority. The beautiful part about this is while you’re working on being more hopeful and positive you will learn that doing this is a form of self-care.

I have a list of 5 self-care rules that you can review, many of them will relate directly to these tips!

#2 Disconnect

Social media and staying up-to-date with the news is a priority or habit in many of our lives, but you need to create a healthy balance. 

Disconnect when you’re feeling overwhelmed or even better disconnect before you become overwhelmed. 

I’m currently taking a break from Twitter because it has significantly impacted my mood. You can still be informed and active in the community, but it is better you control the information you are receiving instead of being overwhelmed by waves of information. 

Social media can be used in a healthy way, but we often let it consume too much of our lives. The best advice I can give you is to take breaks and control your screen time. 

Disconnect as soon as you start to feel anxious or overwhelmed, you are no help to anyone if you’re feeling discouraged or hopeless. Even the strongest people have bad days. 

#3 Get Inspired

Surrounding yourself with people and things that make you feel and hopeful is crucial. I have compiled a list of different ways to inspire and motivate yourself:

1. Make your living space a place of comfort.

   When you wake up you want to feel like your opportunities are endless. This can look different for everyone, but here are some ways I make my living space a positive space:

   • Keep it clean
   • A vision board by my bed
   • Have blinds open for natural light
   • Candles or diffusers for nice scents
   • Decorations/Art/Photos
   • Calendar on display

2. Fill your social media and interactions with positive/hopeful people.
   

   I try to follow accounts that are run by people that I can look up to, people I can learn from, people who make a difference, and people who post graphics with positive and educational quotes. This can go further than social media, make sure your friend group holds the same positive vibes.

3. Use art and media.

   Watch movies, read books, listen to podcasts, or look at art that inspires you and gives you that feeling of hope in your heart. Art and the effect it can have on people is so underrated. Take advantage of it. If you are looking for books to inspire you I definitely recommend reading Dream Big by Bob Goff.

4. Dive into your own creative side.

   Let yourself express yourself through art or writing. Hobbies that promote your own individual creativity is so healthy for you. 

5. Keep a journal and a planner.

   Plan for your future, write everything down. Get yourself excited for the sunny day coming on Saturday, get excited about a book release you are waiting for. You would be surprised how much this can lighten your spirits. I definitely recommend keeping a journal in a way to release and express your emotions. For every journal entry you write about how you’re feeling, follow it with a gratitude exercise to remind yourself that no matter how you’re feeling there is something to feel grateful for. 

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#4 Meditation

I know some people will be excited to see meditation listed and others will be skeptical, so let me first explain something to you.

Meditation does not always mean sitting cross-legged breathing for an hour. 

Of course if you do want to do that you should, but it is not the only option to benefit from meditation. 

Meditation, in my definition, is clearing your mind and finding your personal state of bliss. 

Here are some options for this:

• Yoga – yoga is great for the body and mind. 
• Guided Meditations – using videos or apps you can choose your length of meditation and be guided by someone in order to not become distracted. This is what I do and I find it so helpful!
• Listen to music – make a calming playlist filled with music that makes you feel good. Try listening to it without letting your mind wander. The point of meditation is to escape your thoughts and heighten your emotions. You can create your own feel-good playlist using my questionnaire.
• Taking a walk.

There can be many other ways to meditate. If you need some scientific evidence on why you should meditate and how it can help I suggest you learn from Dr. Joe Dispenza.

The main goal of meditation is to focus on your breathing to clear your mind and then flood your body’s energy centers with feelings of hopefulness and positive emotions.

This post was proofread by Grammarly.

#5 Get Outside

Nature has so many benefits. I recommend Sarah Iven’s book Forest Therapy to learn more of the science, but nature can and will be good for your mental and physical health.

Incorporating nature into your everyday life is important and should be a priority for you. 

When you find yourself surrounded by nature you will see, hear, touch, smell, and maybe even taste an array of different things. This can spark your imagination. 

Your problems will also seem a lot smaller when you see the size of the world around you. It can definitely inspire you to be hopeful and positive. 

With these tips you can surely bring more hope into your life. Being positive is essential to your happiness. I know it is easy to get discouraged and a lot harder to pull yourself out of the unhappy state, but with these tips you can work towards the happiness you deserve.