WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER:  4 Ways to Stay Positive in Tough Times

As stress levels rise, in particularly challenging times, there is still actually a lot to be thankful for in our lives.

Here are four things you can do to stay positive:

1.  Be Grateful – Cling to Gratitude.  We live in a free nation.  We enjoy the right and privilege to argue, to dispute, to vote, to participate and more.  We enjoy our families in relative comfort.  We receive education and not censorship.  We are free to gather and to believe, in many ways.  There is life all around us:  humans, animals and plants.  We fight to find cures for problems and illnesses…  and we usually, eventually do.

2.  Keep a calm mind.  Remember that the sun rose again, today, and it will again – even when clouds hide it, it does.  Enjoy the small things.  Look at a smile, today – on a stranger or someone you love.  Take in the fresh aroma of that blossom or that hot cup of coffee.  See how a cat or dog appreciates your attention.  Offer a small favor.  They’re things you may usually take for granted.  But National Today reminds us that they can still boost your serotonin (happy hormone), improve your mood, and make you feel calm.

3.  Stand United:  Strengthen your connections.  Reach out to an old friend.  Flirt with your partner.  Play board games, look loved ones in the eyes, have long conversations, and so on.  These things help us let go of fear (which can consume us, just like anger or jealousy, if we feed it).

Doing things that make you feel close to other people can boost your oxytocin (good stress hormone) and lower your cortisol (bad stress hormone) levels, which can improve your overall stress levels, according to The Guardian.

4.  Look for the good in others.  For every story about looting or burning and such, there are good stories, too…  like people helping their elderly neighbors, or cleaning up a storefront, or setting up a neighborhood basketball net…  You will see more good than you may have expected.

“Love is the ultimate weapon.”  IT’S ALL ABOUT GRATITUDE.   🙂   And, United We Stand.  

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