When you are feeling down or your life feels heavy, it can be really easy to only focus on the negative. There is a lot of turmoil going on around us in the bigger world and perhaps your personal world as well.

Adding some positivity into your life does not mean forgetting about the hardship and pain you may be experiencing. Positivity is not a band-aid to mask how you are actually feeling.

Sprinkling in some practices that encourage moments of positivity can affect your energy levels and ability to continue to deal with the tough stuff. It’s about remembering that through challenges, there are moments of light.

Let’s take a look at a few simple ways to encourage positivity into your life.

  1. Don’t measure your emotions based on the calendar.

    Our emotions fluctuate so regularly that to label a day, week, month, or year as just one emotion is limiting. Don’t commit your emotions to a time frame!

    Have you ever gotten to about 11AM and thought, “Oh, it’s going to be one of those days?”. When we do that, we limit the possibility that in minutes our emotions or circumstances could drastically change. We’ve pigeonholed an entire day based off the emotion we feel in this one moment.

    Leave space for the grey zone. A day may end up being more challenging than easy, but remember to leave space for the ease amidst the challenge.

  2. Try “yes and” -ing.

    “Yes and” –ing is a skill originating from comedy performances where a group of actors improvise the scene. In order for the scene to have forward momentum, the actors practice agreeing with each other by “yes”-ing and then adding additional information to the scene by “and”-ing.

    It is the opposite of “no, but”-ing.

    For example:
    Person A: I got a new bathing suit.
    Person B: Yes, and I bet it will look great on you.

    VS.

    Person A: I got a new bathing suit.
    Person B: It probably won’t fit you because that store has bad sizing.

    It even feels better to read the first interaction, doesn’t it?

  3. If possible, smile.

    This is a simple one, but easy to forget. It’s not about being cute or polite. Smiling actually sends a message of positivity to your brain, which can influence your overall mood.

    Added bonus – whoever you are smiling at will also receive a boost of positivity. A positive moment for all!

We are all multi-dimensional and our experiences can change moment-to-moment.

Incorporating a few practices of positivity will allow some of those moments to be light and lift us up.

You’ve got this, friends!