How Positive Psychology Will Help You Get Through 2020

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic has spread all around, the world has come to a standstill. With the rising number of cases and deaths and an economic turmoil in businesses, it is proclaimed that a bigger pandemic concerning mental health is set to affect the people worldwide. The uncertainty of the situation has made us all feel anxious. Families with vulnerable members are taking extra steps to ensure maximum safety. With the growing obscurity of the situation, it is important to stay hopeful and optimistic during this time.rnHow can you act in response to the coronavirus situation in a way that will sustain your psychological well-being? rnAccepting negative emotions is essential to recognize that a lot of anxious brainwaves and sentiments will show up throughout this period, and the key lies in accepting them rather than trying to push them away or escape them. The same goes for sorrow stanching from the loss of our usual ways of livelihood, uneasiness about lack of provisions, or hesitation about kids developing an infection. Become aware of negative emotions, feelings, and physical sensations as they originate, observe them with novelty, define them without opinion, and then let them depart. This is a tincture of mindfulness, which has been time and again linked with worthy emotional well-being. The emergence of a happiness movement powered by “positive psychology” signifies the most direct effort to empower individuals to be in high spirits. Manifest IntentionrnWrite down your intention ahead of starting your day, a conference, or a strategy. This will help you to be positive and keep going when you hit obstacles. You will have your mind work for you, not counter you. The moment you wake up, think about what you intend to do, and in the process think about the task being done. This augments the power of manifestation. Aim To FlourishrnThere are four phases of mental health, from low to high: mental illness, suffering, moderate mental health (most people), and booming. Positive psychology aims to move people from moderate mental health to booming. To lift yourself to the highest level - flourishing, you need to reflect on the following five areas in your life: Positive EmotionsrnPositive emotions open up your brain for creative thinking. Your mind is 39% more productive when set in 'positive' mode. Every daily choice you make you can choose to see the 'positive' side or the 'negative' side of things. Engagement In CreativityrnCreativity can be something as simple as cooking a wonderful meal for your family, or something more complex. It's important to feel present in the moment and be able to concentrate on a creative process. RelationshipsrnNurture positive, encouraging associations and build limits in the direction of individuals who don't contribute positively to your journey. Sense And PersistencernDoing effort wherever you feel you are building a divergence or where you can support others can meaningfully increase your happiness. Accomplishment And ProgressrnWe need a sense of accomplishment to feel happy. It is better to link it to enjoying the everyday progress of your actions than big goals. The signposts keep moving, so if you are just attached to one goal, such as buying that dream house, once you get there, it is not enough as there's always more material things you could have. Focus on celebrating small steps and enjoying what you can learn from your work. Generate A 'Done' ListrnWrite down all the things you've accomplished that day before going to bed. It creates a sense of achievement and appreciation in self. It can boost your self-confidence and sentiment that you are enough. It's important to rejoice in the small steps you take and be happy about the improvement rather than the end outcomes. rnChange Your MindsetrnThere are two types of mindsets: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. If you have a fixed mindset you tend to strive for goals and focus on outcomes, you are defensive about your views and don't want to hear any criticism or comments about your work. For a person with a growth mindset, life is a journey. They accept both positive and negative feelings and take failure or criticism as a source of learning. If you are doubtful about your mindset, you can start stimulating the growth mindset by adopting it for a day or when going into a meeting. Be open to new ideas, try not to get insulted from comments and criticism, and consider setbacks as an opportunity to learn new things. Make Your Fears VisiblernYou need to face your fear in harmony to reduce its power. As soon as you make the source of your fear visible to yourself it loses its grasp in you. Name it, claim it, get through it! For instance, if you are afraid of failure, try to allow yourself an 80% success rate instead of going for 100%. Remember that perfection kills progress! Feel the abundance in your lifernWhat does abundance mean to you? More money, more freedom, more happiness? Better health? More creativity? Perhaps all of the above! It's important to feel you have a lot (even if you don't have that much) rather than be always lacking. A good way to do this is to be thankful for the 'amount' you have right now (money, relationships, happiness, health, etc.) and to visualize the abundance you'd like to have in the future. Set radical goals and create a vision board to manifest it! Be authenticrnOne reason why being authentic matters is that if you develop a gap between your faithful self and the way you express yourself outside and the choices you make, you are bound to get sick. Write down your talents and values and the way you want to live. If this feels difficult, think about what you are afraid to share and why, and how would it benefit someone if you did share it. rnKeep Going When Times Are ToughrnWe are all tested at times and hence it's good to learn what you can do to bring yourself back up. When you hit a setback try to create positive emotions and write down what you are grateful for. These actions will help immediately and you are more likely to find the persistence to carry on. The studies are positive: Looking on the bright side of life is good for you. Optimists have a 35% less chance of dying from a heart attack or stroke; they are more likely to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly ‘have stronger immune systems, and even live longer. Not a natural optimist? No worries. Science has shown you can train your brain to be more positive. Only about 25% of optimism is programmed by our genes anyway. Instead of fighting our emotions, we can invest our energy in creating the best possible life, given the circumstances. Although many people escape from reality by Netflix binging, cookie indulging, or marathon Fortnite playing, be mindful of over-relying on these disruption strategies. Instead, studies have shown that planning and executing new routines that connect you to what matters in life. It’s important to establish structure, predictability, and a sense of purpose with these new routines. In the time after work is done, use the opportunity to enrich your life.