Keep calm and stay positive
Anju Dhawan
To keep calm and stay positive in today’s world full of stress, anxiety, and worry, isn’t easy, but it is a great skill to inculcate. We all spend a lot of time regretting the past, worrying about the future, comparing our lives with others, or fearing the unknown. Most of the time, it is not the situation, but our negative perception of the situation that leads to stress and anxiety. Anxiety mostly builds up of smaller issues. Therefore, having a positive attitude and looking at every situation as either a challenge or an opportunity is very important. Staying positive, calm, and motivated has become extremely necessary under the present circumstances, considering all the chaos and uncertainty in the world. This attitude is not something you can acquire in one day, it comes with everyday practice, persistence, and lifestyle changes. Learning to remain calm is a skill that can be developed over time by taking a few positive steps.
To stay calm, the first step I take is to become aware of my thoughts and emotions and try to manage them in the best possible manner. Whenever I have negative thoughts, I try to replace them with positive ones. For example, earlier if my output at work was not as per my desire, I would think, “Today is not my day, things are just not moving.” In a similar situation today, however, I tell myself, “Everything is fine and I can do it.” Such positive thoughts calm me down and help me take control of my work and life.
I strongly believe a positive morning routine can set a vibe that boosts the mood, promotes wellness, and helps to stay calm and motivated for the rest of the day. Mornings should be full of sunlight, hope, and motivation to give you the required push for the day ahead. Therefore, I have incorporated meditation, pranayama, affirmations, mantras, prayer, reading and writing in my morning routine. Meditation helps rid the stream of thoughts that maybe crowding the mind and causing stress. Mornings should be full of hope, faith, and motivation to give you the required push for the whole day. It should help us see bright opportunities every day. Exercising and nature walks also keep me calm. Being in nature or simply watching nature pictures can create many positive emotions and increase creativity.
To stay positive and calm I also ask myself questions and answer them honestly. In any negative situation, the first question I ask myself is, “Is this a genuine problem, or am I overthinking?” If it is a genuine problem, I ask myself, “Can I do something about it?” If I can do something about it, I would rather take those actions. If nothing can be done about the situation, then it’s better that I accept it. It’s simple – act or accept, worry is useless, particularly when appropriate action is what’s called for.
Life is a battlefield, win or lose – keep calm and stay positive!
Anju Dhawan is a passionate educator, entrepreneur, author, TedX speaker and motivator. She started her carer as a teacher and now owns a company, SMS Consultants, that provides professional consulting services to schools. She can be reached at info@smsconsultants.org.
