Yesterday is Heavy. Put it Down.

How do you stay calm, cool, and collected – while maintaining your self-esteem in rough times? Here are four tips that have helped me stay positive and level-headed amid the darkest of storms.

1. Accept responsibility when things go wrong. While some unpleasantries stem from circumstances beyond our control, often we have a hand to play in them too. That’s why anytime something goes wrong, you should always ask whether something you did led to the situation.

When we take responsibility for our actions and mistakes, we can learn from them, make better decisions in the future, and avoid making the same mistake again.

2. Fight the urge to wallow in self-pity. Self-pity is a dangerous emotion. It’s tempting to get immersed in it, but the truth is that once you start feeling sorry for yourself, it’s a slippery slope. Self-loathing can lead to depression, feelings of inadequacy, and isolation.

Avoiding these negative emotions can be easier said than done. But if you practice self-awareness, objectively monitor your thoughts for signs of gloominess, and can spot it early, you’ve already won half the battle.

If you do catch thoughts tumbling towards woefulness over your circumstances, just take stock of everything you should be thankful for and leave the rest to The Most High.

3. Avoid negativity. Having a good sense of self-worth is about understanding your value both to yourself and others. Nonetheless, even when you possess this type of self-awareness, it’s easy to lose your way if you’re constantly around negative situations.

In fact, exposing yourself to too much negative energy can lead to depression or make it difficult to excel in your endeavors. But the good news is that you can safeguard yourself from its harmful effects.

So, the next time you’re confronted with something negative try distancing yourself from it.

Likewise, if there are people in your life who drain you, politely let them know it’s not personal but the best way for them to support you is to exercise understanding as you re-prioritize the amount of time you spend together.

4. Don’t just avoid toxic conditions, replace them with positivity. Getting rid of unwanted baggage is great, but if you don’t immediately put something better in its place, you create a vacuum that re-fills itself with more negativity.

Take stock of which influences energize you the most and take in as many of these activities as you can each day.

I hope these four tips were useful. If you are currently facing a difficult time, remember that you can always ask for help.

Keywords

Health, self-esteem, maintain, accountability, positive energy, depression, toxic