Sometimes it’s more difficult than others to manage self-doubt and negativity. When they start to dominate your thinking and feeling, it gets harder to get through every day. There are ways to push away these negative feelings by making a deliberate choice to focus on what’s good instead.
Attitude
Your attitude toward your life and how good or bad it is depends a lot on what you focus on. Kurt Vonnegut, a famous novelist from the 20th Century stated in Mother Night that “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” If you perceive yourself in a positive light, it will be much easier to perceive your life as good overall. Of course, there will be ups and downs, but everyone experiences those. The important thing is to see things in a positive light overall instead of seeing the bleak.
Focus
Whether you’re driving a car, walking down the street, or riding a bike, you need to focus your eyes on what’s ahead and where you want to go. If you didn’t, you’d crash into things or go to places you never intended. It’s the same with how you live your life.
If you’re constantly focusing on the negative, you’ll veer off the track of the positive. It’s difficult to impossible to stay on the path you want if you don’t put your focus on the positive instead of the negative. One way to keep moving forward in a constructive way is to listen to positive podcasts and consume other uplifting media every day. They reinforce good behaviors and attitudes that make your life more rewarding instead of tearing you down.
Diet and Exercise
Trying to lead a healthy, healthy and productive life is difficult if you don’t give your body what it needs to operate efficiently. Not only is food fuel, but it’s also medicine. A balanced diet with minimally processed food will give your cells the nutrition they need to function properly.
Exercise also helps by raising the feel-good endorphins in your brain. You don’t have to go to the gym every day. Park further away or take the stairs instead of the elevator. The time it takes might be enough to raise your energy level and outlook, ultimately saving you time.
Hobbies and Interests
Rather than being discretionary, consider a hobby or interest as a necessity. Getting involved in something outside yourself can be rewarding and stimulating in important ways, similar to the renewal you might get from a vacation.
Bottom Line
It may not happen overnight, but eating better, exercising and staying on the positive side of your life will improve your perception of yourself. The effort you put into it will reward you in a more positive and rewarding life.
