3 Things I Do That Keep Me Moving Forward

I’ve always been a pretty optimistic person, but I have to admit that lately I’m struggling.

My husband used to kid me about my “rose colored glasses” and how I could paint a pretty picture of almost any situation. I was always the one who put a positive spin on people and their motives and gave everyone the benefit of the doubt even when it was quite a stretch. Lately I have to admit I’ve had to dig pretty deep to see the silver lining. Here’s some things I used to know that I probably need to be reminded of right now. Maybe these will help you too!

1. Start With Self-Compassion – Being angry, sad, or cynical is hard on my body. So showing some self-love by wrapping my thoughts, feelings and actions in gentleness and kindness conserves my energy and softens my heart
2. Create Some Emotional DIstance – Journaling my thoughts and feelings helps me gain some emotional distance from the intensity of negative emotions and gives room for me to be fair in the telling of where I am emotionally. In reading back through my journals I find patterns in my emotions that help me to consider other ways to react differently to situations that come back around over time. It helps me see that I can make changes in my life that help me feel less powerless and be interested in how my life could be different. Adding the positive emotion of being curious about options and patterns in my life helps protect me against staying stuck in hopelessness.
3. Shift My Perspective – Much like the picture above, the meaning we assign to our circumstances is shaped by our view of our life. Looking at my circumstances through a different lens – or a different window – reframes my perspective and helps me see possibilities that are available if I choose a different next step.

So when you feel stuck and discouraged, take advice from this therapist. Be self-compassionate. Then choose to be curious about new choices you can make to change your reactions to the world around you. Then you can be willing to look at your life from a new angle – a different perspective – to reframe what to do next and to make meaning of the past.

Need a little help to take the next step? Perfect. That’s what we do. So give us a call at 850.450.7223 or make an appointment in our online portal here. https://believehopeinspire.securepatientarea.com/portal/

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