Remaining Optimistic
You know. If you ask me, & you didn't, but I'm gonna say it anyway, the most beautiful & hectic part of life is that there isn't an actual guidebook for it. No one really knows what they're doing. Some are just better at maneuvering than others. But if you really boil it down to the core, we're all just really big kids still trying to find our way through this crazy, hectic, but beautiful thing we're calling life.
Life has this funny way of throwing you curveballs when everything is going well. It's sorta like a "haha, nothing interesting is happening in your life right now. Let's spice it up some!" Now, if that's really how life goes about giving you adversity, I feel that life needs to reevaluate it's priorities & get a life of its own. But, hey. I'm just a young 20 year old-something trying to find her footing in the world. So, who am I to say?
Keeping it 100%, remaining optimistic all the time is hard & nearly impossible. I say it all the time. "Happy people aren't happy all the time." It's factual. There are studies that actually say some of the happiest people are actually the saddest; they're just good at masking. I go back & forth with myself often on whether or not I'd get rid of feeling sad if I could. As of now, I've decided that it's necessary. It makes us appreciate being happy & being in a good mental space. I also think that being able to feel both those emotions means that we are in touch with ourselves. & that is so important.
As someone who experiences anxiety & depression, remaining optimistic can be challenging. I do wake up often & just not want to. Or I wake up & I'm annoyed for reasons I cannot explain. I just feel bleh. I shutdown. I remove myself from people I love & care about. & truthfully, sometimes I do lean into the sadness & negativity. Hey, I just told you...I'm human. It's taken a lot of work to rebuild my mental stability & to ensure that upstairs was intact. To date, I do find it easier to see the light of every day. That's not to say I'll feel this way next month, or next week, or even tomorrow. But, I take one day at a time. & that's the first step to staying whole.
20 Things I do to Remain Optimistic
Breathe
Verbally state at least three things I'm grateful for
Let go of the things I cannot change
Drink water...& coffee, daily
Give myself time to cool off after an event
Journal
Pray & ask for clarity on every & any situation
Talk to someone I trust...even if it's just to hear their voice
Eat a good, hardy meal
Remind myself that nothing is as serious as I've allowed myself to believe
Be in the moment
Set aside time to do more of what I love (by set aside, I mean make the time)
Get fresh air
Reject all negative thoughts that begin to form & ask that they be replaced with positive ones
Eat ice cream
Make a list of things to accomplish one day at a time. Cross each item off as they are completed
Write happy & positive reminders on sticky notes & place them in places I must acknowledge
Laugh...even if I feel that I'll start crying, laugh anyway
Remind myself of why I'm doing this. What is the reason I'm working so hard on accomplishing this goal? What do I see for myself in the next couple of months?
Keep trusting that I am exactly where I need to be in life & that everything is already worked out in my favor.
These things are specific to me, & I believe that it's important to identify what's helpful to you! We are all so similar, yet still completely different, but one thing is for certain.
We must live our days here on Earth to the fullest because our days will run out at some point in time. If we know that tomorrow is not promised, we should do our best to see our glass half full opposed to empty.
May your day be ever filled with love, light, and of course, an abundance of chicken tenders💜🌻✨
Cheyenne Pajardo