Positivity can be hard to come by when you face an unexpected and unwanted life decision. If your spouse decides to file for divorce, for instance, you may find yourself asking, “Why me?” The fallout from that question can reverberate throughout your life for months and years to come. However, you can reverse tide and find ways of staying positive that help you to heal and grow. Here are four tips for how to do just that.
1. Cut Out Negative People.
There is a temptation when divorce papers are filed to avoid individuals with happy and cheery outlooks because you don’t feel that way inside, so you end up gravitating toward similarly disposed people. While this may seem comforting in a strange way, it keeps you from breaking out of your rut because your negative emotions are being constantly reinforced. Steer clear of people who seem to be at their happiest when they’re weighing in on some type of turmoil.
2. Advance Your Goals.
Everyone has goals in life, though a situation like that created by the divorce forms can cause you to second-guess them for a spell. It’s okay to get your bearings and to try and figure things out after a divorce, but don’t let that discovery period let you lose sight of goals. It may be that you have to recalibrate them because you had shared goals and the divorce pretty much ended that. But you still have reasons to go on, things you can accomplish, ways of being fulfilled. Re-focus on these things and start working towards them.
3. Stay Off Social Media.
You don’t have to disable all your social networking accounts, but you should take a serious look at how much time you’re spending on there. Facebook, in particular, has been linked to depression with the more time you end up spending on it. That’s because many people use Facebook as a sounding board for gripes and outrage. Don’t get caught up in it. If you must be on a network, limit how often you check it to once a day.
4. Find People With Similar Interests.
Meetup groups can be invaluable in building positivity. Things like NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) or book clubs are terrific for helping you connect with excited and enthusiastic people. These people tend to be positive, at least in the environment you’re meeting them in.
What about you, readers? What things have helped you build positivity? Sound off in the comments section.