(October 18, 2016 at 11:43 am)Faith No More Wrote: Mindfulness certainly isn't easy, but I'm getting better at it.
The trick I use to make me stay positive is reminding myself how much worse things could be, like being a child in Aleppo or a parent trying to help a sick child in Venezuela. It helps me appreciate what I have and motivates to get me through the day. It helps me focus on the things I do have as opposed to the things I don't.
There are things you can do to elevate your mood, which in turn will help you stay positive, like exercise and social interaction. They help release the neurochemicals that contribute to positive mental health.
No, it's not easy, especially if you have panic, depression or other high emotional states. I'm not very good at it yet, either, but I think it's a pretty awesome concept.
I also do the comparing thing. In fact, my therapist said it was a good thing because I mentioned that I was feeling bad about looking at people and thinking "at least it's not that bad." I felt like I was being mean to them.
