Have you noticed how frequently thoughts of your beloved are popping into your head? fMRI studies indicate that when people fall in love, twelve areas of their brain become active.
Nearly 400 years after Shakespeare posed the question “What is love?,” scientists are finally beginning to provide some definitive answers. Here are some telltale signs: 1. Your heartbeat becomes faster.
1. Focus on the positive
When feeling discouraged and overwhelmed by negative voices in your head, it can be hard to remain positive and focus on what’s good in life. However, there are steps you can take that will retrain your brain to think more positively.
Start by taking steps within your control to manage. For instance, make an effort to choose your language carefully as language can create negative thoughts in our heads. Replace any negative words you find yourself using with positive ones – this will gradually alter how you talk to yourself.
Focusing on the people around you is also vitally important to maintaining mental wellness. Spending time with people who radiate negative vibes can have a major effect on your mental wellbeing; try surrounding yourself with people who can uphold and support you instead.
Focusing on the positive can be accomplished by actively seeking it out. Be it happy news stories, pictures of adorable animals, or simply enjoying a cup of coffee; take an active approach in seeking out what makes life enjoyable.
When positive thoughts cross your mind, take a few seconds to linger on them before moving on to the next. This practice of mindfulness will retrain your brain to produce more positive thoughts.
Negative thinking is part of life and can be hard to shake when experiencing mental health difficulties, yet it’s possible to shift your mindset from negative to positive even during a mental health crisis – with just a bit of effort and practice. For immediate support if in crisis call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255 or text Crisis Text Line 741741 on your cell phone.
2. Create a safe space
Establishing a safe space, whether physical or mental, can be an invaluable act of self-care and stress relief. It provides the chance for renewal and solitude while encouraging personal development in an often overwhelming world.
Physical safe spaces can be defined as any room or area designated specifically for you. They should be comfortable, private and distraction-free. A physical safe space should also include low sensory input such as limited outside noise or lighting sources and soothing colors or scents that provide comforting environments.
Mental safe spaces may require more effort to establish, but it is possible. Begin by picturing an environment you find peaceful and calming–either a beach, forest or cozy cabin – then write or draw what it looks like so you can return there whenever necessary.
Another effective way of creating a safe space is showing others you care. This could involve showing an interest in them and striking up conversations; even though this doesn’t guarantee they’ll open up immediately about all their innermost thoughts and secrets, it does show them you value them as people.
Becoming a safe space requires taking action that builds people up instead of breaking them down, such as refraining from gossiping about others, avoiding negative or toxic emotions, practicing active listening skills or not gossiping about others. But it’s also essential to remember that safe spaces can only remain safe so long if their caretaker takes adequate steps themselves to maintain wellbeing and keep safe spaces safe!
3. Practice gratitude
Gratefulness is an emotion that fosters well-being and can help us appreciate others more fully. Additionally, being grateful has been linked to increased self-esteem, more prosocial behaviors, and reduced aggression levels.
One effective way to express our appreciation is through creating an intentional gratitude ritual. Some find keeping a gratitude journal useful, while others can incorporate practicing gratitude into daily routines such as when they wake up or before going to sleep. Studies show that practicing gratitude can improve sleep quality, mood levels and happiness levels while even curbing impatience levels – making for a powerful antidote against impatience!
Recognizing and appreciating what you have in your life – such as family, friends and the chance to learn and grow – is essential to maintaining mental wellbeing. Expressing thanks can also make us more resilient during difficult times as researchers have discovered that grateful individuals possess greater resilience against stressors.
Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at University of California Davis suggests when practicing gratitude it’s more effective to focus on depth than breadth. Focusing on and appreciating just a few items instead of compiling an exhaustive list can bring greater rewards. He advises practicing gratitude on less obvious areas such as breathing or pleasant sounds or sights that could easily go overlooked.
Other researchers have reported that practicing gratitude helps counteract negative emotions such as envy and materialism. Just be careful not to get stuck in the toxic positivity trap where too much gratitude can compromise health.
4. Let go of the past
No matter how bad a relationship or past mistakes were, they’re impossible to erase from our memories. When trying to let go of the past and move forward with life’s journey, holding onto things may just hold you back further from reaching your full potential. If you need help moving on from past relationships and mistakes, seeking professional therapy services, setting goals for yourself and surrounding yourself with supportive friends and family may help ease this transition process.
Practice gratitude as one way of helping yourself let go of the past and find meaning in the present. Focusing on all you’re thankful for can help shift your mindset from scarcity to abundance and ease negative feelings associated with the past. Gratitude also facilitates finding meaning in everyday situations.
One key step toward healing lies in forgiving both yourself and others. While this process may involve working through painful emotions, it’s also helpful to remember that just because things happened doesn’t mean they were okay; for example, child abuse should never have been tolerated – suppressing these feelings will only prolong suffering and prolong recovery.
Releasing yourself of your past is a gradual process, so don’t feel discouraged if you slip up sometimes. Take these setbacks as opportunities to refocus and practice coping skills; redirect your energy toward creating meaningful goals for the future, envision yourself living free of regretful past actions; with time, patience and persistence you will create the life that’s meant to be yours!