To be honest with you I think happiness and positivity are really overrated in our culture. I don’t want to glorify feeling happy as the best way to feel.
You could be perfectly happy sitting on the couch eating nachos all day (ok I do really enjoy nachos) and not learning or accomplishing shit.
Honestly, all of my most important, pivotal, define who I am as a person moments happened when life really kicked the crap out of me.
I think struggle should be celebrated and reached for just as much as happiness. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone” and all that. Don’t get me wrong, practicing gratitude and working to be positive has changed my life but I feel like the struggle gets discounted a lot.
Don’t discount your struggle. If you’re hurting and knee deep in the fight I hope these tips will help you keep going.
I love the idea that we can consciously raise our energy to feel better at any given moment.
If you want to attract more positivity in your life you need to put out more positive energy by getting in a good mood and feeling freaking great.
My energy is naturally pretty low and if I’m not paying attention I’ll find myself complaining and plummeting my energy into negativity land.
Here are some things I do to raise my vibrations and start attracting positivity. I have a whole podcast episode on my positivity journey if you’re interested check it out on Podbean or iTunes.
htt2 style=”text-align: center;”>
Focus on Positive Things
I like to write a gratitude list in my journal every morning, gratitude is truly a mindfulness exercise.
If I don’t make an effort to stay aware I can end up going through the whole day without taking a second to appreciate what I have.
Before I eat my food I take a second and think how glad I am for the meal I’m about to eat.
When I get in my car I think about how fortunate I am to have a vehicle. When I walk to work I take a second and think about how happy I am to have the financial stability I get from my job.
It is easy to go about your day to day tasks and never think about how fortunate you are. It takes discipline to practice gratitude all day but it has made a huge difference in how I feel every day.
Negativity Purge
Negative people really affect how I feel. I try and get rid of or limit my contact with negative influences and I find that it helps me feel a lot better.
It’s really difficult to be in a positive mindset around people who are raining negative energy down on you. If there is a coworker that is always complaining try to spend less time with that person.
Take the negative people off of your Facebook feed. Try to watch TV shows that make you feel good and spend less time watching ones with conflict.
Try to be aware of how you feel after you spend time with your friends and surround yourself with people that make you feel good about yourself.
You do not need to spend time with people that are critical or that bring you down.
Take a Break From The News
I am someone that reads a lot of news and this is something I really struggle with.
I’m sensitive and the news focuses on all of the bad things that happen in the world while almost completely ignoring all of the great things that happen every day.
It’s OK to take a break from the news to focus on positive things.
Try to cut back and only read the headlines once a day.
I have a whole blog post about following the news without getting really f-ing depressed.
Be in the Moment
I am someone that wastes A LOT of time replaying things that happened in the past and worrying about the future.
This is such a huge waste of energy.
Most of the things I worry about in the future don’t even end up coming true and even if they do worry doesn’t help anything.
I try to stay focused on what is happening right now.
If I feel my mind starting to worry about the future I gently remind myself to stay in the moment and be aware of what is happening right now.
Exercise
Exercise can release more dopamine and feel good drugs into your brain.
I know when I am exercising I have more energy and feel better about life overall. Go for a walk or a bike ride.
Spend time doing some kind of exercise, even if it is only a little bit. Watch my favorite free dance workouts here.
If I am feeling stuck and like you I can’t gather any positive energy I always turn to exercise.
Exercising is like tricking your brain into feeling positive. Even if I can’t mentally get into a positive place I can give my brain some dopamine and find a little relief.
Hire a Pro
Therapy has gotten me through some pretty sucktastic times in my life.
If you’re feeling alone or you’re not sure how to cope with the crap that life has been dealing you go talk to a therapist.
They are trained to help you through your worst times.
I use Better Help.
I like this online therapy program because I can text my therapist throughout the day. You can also Skype or talk on the phone at no additional charge but I prefer to text.
I find it helpful that I can talk to my therapist every day and it costs less than going to a traditional therapist once per week.
Get Inspired
Read or watch something that makes you feel inspired. I have a pinterest board of inspirational quotes you can check out.
I like to find something that makes me feel motivated and set it as my desktop and cell phone backgrounds.
Make a vision board or Pinterest board of places you want to go, goals you want to achieve and the people you want to meet.
Spend some time daydreaming about what you want your life to be like.
Read a biography of someone that you admire or that you think has a great life.
Whenever I want to feel inspired I listen to Abraham Hicks speeches on YouTube. Abraham Hicks teaches positive thinking and the law of attraction.
If you need a pep talk to listen to try this one by Kid President.
Get a Mantra
Find a mantra or affirmation that really speaks to you and what you are going through.
Repeat it in your head, say it out loud or write it down.
I like to set mine as a reminder on my phone so it pops up throughout the day.
I have a list of affirmations you can download for free.
Turn Off Social Media
Sometimes when I get stressed out I have to take a break from social media.
If you feel like you’re getting support from social media then it’s OK to stay on it.
There have been plenty of times that I have been able to find support and comfort through social media but I’ve also had times where I constantly compare myself to other people and feel bad about myself.
If social media is bringing you down it’s OK to take a break.
Remember that social media doesn’t show you anything about how a person really feels and you have no idea if someone is happy or struggling.
Take a break from social media if you need to and just focus on yourself and how you feel.
Get Sleep
I know how hard it can be to try and sleep when you’re struggling but sleep is essential to your recovery and you need to make it a priority.
When I am having a really hard time sleeping I start getting up really early (5am) every day and try to stay busy all day.
This trick usually means I am tired enough by the end of the day to be able to fall asleep.
If you can’t make yourself get up super early every day try to get up at the same time every day.
If you feel like your sleep schedule is really out of whack try taking a low dose of melatonin.
Melatonin is a hormone that is found naturally in your body that helps regulate your sleep schedule.
Spend Time with Friends
I know how hard it can be to make plans with friends when you feel like crap. When I’m struggling I become extremely introverted and barely want to talk to anyone.
However, I find that spending time with my friends almost always makes me feel better. Make an effort to spend time with the most positive and funny people that you know.
If your friend doesn’t live near you make an effort to call them and talk on the phone.
Get Perspective
No matter how shitty and unfair things are there’s ALWAYS someone who has it worse.
When I’m feeling down about small things I try to remember that to give me perspective.
99% of the time when I’m complaining about something I really have nothing to be upset about in the grand scheme of things.
Think about the good things you have in your life and realize that plenty of people in the world would be overjoyed to have your problems.
Dance
Listening to music always instantly raises my vibration. If I’m having a really crap day I will take a break and have a dance party in my living room.
Moving around helps me feel better and it’s hard to be worried about the future when you’re dancing your butt off.
If you’re not sure what to do try some of the Fitness Marshall videos for an easy dance and fitness routine.
Meditation
I’m honestly not the best at meditation.
I can’t seem to quite my mind long enough to meditate the traditional way. I have found that guided meditation really helps me raise my vibration and get back into my creative/happy zone.
I have a whole post of guided meditation you can check out here.
Journal
I love to journal and this is the first thing I usually turn to when my vibration is feeling low.
I write a gratitude list every night before I go to sleep and sometimes in the morning too.
I also like to write out my daydreams and goals to keep them sorted out (stuff tends to get jumbled in my head).
Eating Healthy
When I need to attract some positivity in my life I start taking excellent care of myself and that usually starts with a trip to the grocery store for all the best food.
Getting healthy definitely keeps me high vibe!
When I eat junk food I feel better in the moment but quickly find my energy plummeting.
I personally feel best when I stick to a mostly ketogenic diet but you should find a nutrition plan that works for you.
I recommend you find some sort of eating plan that you can stick to.
Exercise
This is the key to my mental health.
When I don’t exercise my depression becomes really difficult to manage and everything in my life becomes more difficult.
Try to find an exercise that you enjoy and make a plan to do it consistently. You can get my free workout planner below.
Going to the Park
I’m trying to take my dog for a walk in the park at least three times a week. I
t’s a really nice way to get outside and get my head in a better place (plus my dog is always thrilled).
Google parks in the area that you live in. I lived in the same area for two years and there were parks I didn’t even know we had.
Cleaning
Decluttering is a great way to raise your vibrations and start bringing more positive energy into your life.
Anytime I want the feeling of a fresh start I declutter all my closets and drawers.
I love Marie Kondo’s philosophy about only keeping things in your house that spark joy.
Raise the energy of your space by getting rid of anything that doesn’t fit or work properly.
Workbooks
I have been loving She’s Killin’ It: The Ultimate 21-Day Journal For Manifesting A KickAss Life
Writing really raises my vibe and I love journal prompts.
I have a free journaling workbook you can grab below.
Sometimes it’s nice to not have to think of prompts and to already have the questions already thought out for you.
Audiobooks
If I’m in a total shit mood I’ll lay in bed and listen to self-help audio books.
My two favorites are You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life
If you haven’t tried Scribd before you can get 30 days of unlimited free audiobooks and ebooks by clicking here.
I used to pay $15-$20 per audiobook but now I pay $8.99 per month for unlimited books. If you are like me and you love audiobooks you need to give it a try.
Abraham Hicks
This is not for you if you’re not into woo-woo.
I love listening to Abraham Hicks because it makes me feel really freaking good. There are lots of audio recordings that you can listen to for free on YouTube.
If you feel like you just need a big giant pep talk check it out.
https://youtu.be/Ek6ByYFHTAk
Baths
I take baths all the time.
Sometimes I just need to have a long soak and think. I come up with most of my content ideas in the bathtub.
I’ll listen to inspiriting audiobooks and let myself zone out for a while. Baths put me in a great mood.
It’s kind of like hitting a reset button on your day.
Give Compliments
To attract more positivity into your life you need to put out more positive energy.
Make it your mission to compliment as many people as possible every day.
Not only will it attract more positivity into your own life it will also make the other person feel good too. win win win.
Plus it doesn’t cost a damn thing to rain down compliments on everyone you meet.
Volunteer
If you want to supercharge the positive energy in your life find an organization to get involved in.
The more passionate about it you are the better.
Helping other people will make you feel great and when you feel great you attract more positive things in your life.
Essential Oils
I like to raise the energy in my room by using my oil diffuser
This is an easy way to do some aromatherapy to help get you in a better mood.
I have a whole post on using essential oils for anxiety and depression.
I hope this gives you some ideas to start attracting more positivity into your life.
Anything that makes you feel good and puts you in a good mood can help attract more positivity into your life.
I made a list of things I can do to help me feel better in my phone and pull it out whenever I need a boost.
I love the idea of radiating positive energy and attracting positive energy back to you.
Want to remember these ideas? Pin for later!
