Perspective, perseverance and positivity

By Stella Carter

When you find yourself down, despondent and ready to give in, what do you do to pull yourself out of this head space?

I am generally a positive, optimistic, happy person who always sees the opportunity in the situation, but lately I have found myself in a negative head space, caused by factors outside of my control. I have my go-to ways to pull myself right, and wondered what those around me do.

I reached out to friends and colleagues and asked them to share how they pull themselves out of a negative space and absolutely loved all the feedback.

My best friends, who are my free therapy, made me laugh. The obvious go-to is staying hydrated…. CARBo-hydrated that is. This can be paired with a good walk or talk (with each other)  to boost moods and lift spirits. Talking through your problems helps alleviate pent up frustrations, and allow you the opportunity to unpack your thinking, process things, and look at your situation from a different perspective.

Meditation or listening to a good podcast are other ways my girlfriends work through negative thoughts and find guidance in life.

My running group gave the obvious answer….. GO FOR A RUN!! Running or exercise is always a great outlet to release frustration. It allows you to declutter your thoughts and boost your endorphin (happy hormone) levels. One of my running friends shared that she keeps herself focused and in perspective by setting race goals – for her specifically, the Comrades Marathon. The achievement of running the ultimate human race is a high she carries for many months after. No matter what life throws at her, she reminds herself that she ran the Comrades. And if she can do that, she can do anything. She’s a badass!

My colleagues gave great insights, too. Perspective, perspective, perspective!! This is key to keeping things from spiralling out of control – which they tend to do when you allow things to stay in your head for too long. Keep it in perspective. Sometimes our big worries get a little smaller when we put them into perspective.  

Another big one, and one I tend to turn to often, is to surround yourself with people who fill your cup and help keep you grounded and energised. It’s in times like these that you realise you are not alone and don’t always have to carry all of life’s burdens on your shoulders. They say it takes a village to raise a child – I think it takes that same village to keep you sane, grounded and whole.

What do you do when you find yourself in a space filled with negative thoughts or low energy and self-esteem? Share your thoughts on social media and tag CN&CO.