You can feel like your life is just falling apart. Like you're a complete looser. Been there? Me too.
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| From: Fancy |
How do you dig yourself out? Well first, stop digging! It's so easy to spiral into more & more negative thinking. You need to consciously turn that thinking around. Instead of thinking about all the ways your life isn't going right, think about ways that it is (there are some, really!) Think about things you can do to immediately improve your situation. Do you need more money? Can you get another part time job? Are you lonely? Have you tried taking local classes that interest you or online dating?
Maybe write down your negative feelings then go back & write counter arguments to those. I don't know if it was the way I was raised or just the way I think but I'm constantly countering bad things that happen. Like, "I hate my apartment" "But at least it's got free heat". Or, "I'm a horrible cook" "But at least there's a pizza place down the street". Or, "My job is sooo not fun" "But at least I have one". I feel like the negatives are never The End. They are never the absolute worst thing that could happen.
For me, it also helps to know that God has a plan for me. I've had bad times in my life enough that I've been able to see those bad things that have happened turn around into a positive for me. For example, I never would have met my husband if I hadn't have gotten laid off from my job. About a month after I got laid off, I ended up taking a temporary job at the University, & it was at that job that I met my husband. I would have never had the guts to take a temp job at the U (even though I really wanted to work there) when I had a permanent job (even though it was at a law firm that I kinda hated). So while it was super upsetting to loose my job & I felt really horrible about it, it ended up being a good thing for me. Yep, God's plan in action :)
Usually when I feel down for an extended period of time, something snaps in me & I end up starting a new project. I feel down for a while, then I just get fed up & decided to do something about it. Like, fix something in my rental, or start this blog, or start my bookbinding business. It can be some of my most creative times. I think it's great to get really involved in something at times like these. Not only can it get your mind off whatever's been bugging you, but it can also lead to great things!!
What do you do to combat negative feelings? How do you manage to keep a positive attitude when things aren't going the way you'd like them to?
Follow along with my 31 days of loving my rental series here:
