Let’s face it: sometimes life gets you down! Thinking positively can be a challenge when papers, assignments, rent, and responsibilities start to pile up. Not to mention, with the cooler weather creeping in, the lack of warmer temperatures can leave you feeling a little blue. Try these 5 tips to stay positive in any situation!
1) Write it Down
Journaling offers a great outlet to get your thoughts down on paper! Write down any worries, impending projects causing you stress, frustrations- it’s completely up to you. Trust me, getting those negative thoughts out of your head and onto paper will leave you with a clearer mind and a more positive attitude.
Stuck on what to write? The Five-Minute Journal is a guided journal that only takes 5 minutes in the morning and evening. Every morning, the journal provides you with an inspirational quote, as well as several questions to get you thinking, such as three things you are grateful for and what would make today great. Then, every evening the journal prompts you with three amazing things that happened that day and how you could have made today better.
Find The Five-Minute Journal on Amazon here!
2) Try Essential Oils
Essential oils are a wonderful source of stress relief, mental clarity, positive energy, and even restful sleep! Using a diffuser like this one on Amazon, mix a few drops of your essential oils with the correct amount of water for your diffuser and enjoy! Here are some of the best essential oils and their benefits:
Peppermint: this minty-fresh oil is great for awakening your senses and making you feel more alert.
Lavender: having trouble sleeping? Try diffusing some lavender. The delicate floral scent will not only relax you, but help you get some much-needed sleep.
Sweet Orange: who doesn’t love the smell of fresh oranges? Diffusing some sweet orange will not only make your room smell delicious, but it is known to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
Lemon: feeling down? Lemon oil is great for enhancing your mood and giving you energy.
Feeling creative? Try mixing a couple of essential oils together for your own stress-relieving and mood-boosting scent.
Get your own set of essential oils here!
3) Indulge in a Good Book
Getting lost in a good book is one of the best ways to temporarily get your mind off of your stresses and worries. Take a break from the textbooks and indulge in your favorite book for a few hours. Need some inspiration? Try Jen Sincero’s “You are a Badass.” Jen takes a unique approach to teaching you to think more positively and get the most of out of life!
Get your copy of “You are a Badass” here!
4) Treat Yourself
When assignments and studying become too much, grab yourself a sweet treat. According to Women’s Health Magazine, Swiss scientists found that people who ate an ounce and a half of dark chocolate every day for two weeks showed greatly reduced stress levels! Chocolate is also great for boosting your mood and actually provides some health benefits! Check out the benefits of chocolate here.
Need a place to grab a sweet treat? We rounded up some of the best sweet stops in our latest article, 3 of the Best Spots to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth in Morgantown.
5) Find Your Affirmation
The practice of using affirmations has been around for years as a way help with concentration during meditation and to reinforce positive thinking. While still used in meditation today, you don’t have to meditate to experience the benefits of using affirmations. Positive affirmations are simple statements that are repeated to clear your mind and motivate you!
Try starting with these simple affirmations:
“I have enough. I do enough. I am enough”
“I give myself permission to slow down”
“I have done my best for today”
“My potential is unlimited”
“Feel the fear and do it anyways”
“This is temporary”
Having a positive outlook on life can help melt away every day stresses and open your eyes to the great things in life! Next time you feel overwhelmed, try one (or more) of these tips to clear your mind, lift your mood, and approach your stresses in a healthy way. Remember, it is up to you to decide how you are going to approach your trials and tribulations and having a positive outlook can make any situation better!