How to Develop a Positive Mindset When You're Feeling Discouraged

I have been where you are. Many times.

It's definitely discouraging when something happens in your life and then you become so upset about that one thing that you can't even think straight anymore.

It's difficult to stand up from it when all you think about are the downsides of the situation. It completely blocks you from seeing the upside of the situation.

Or maybe there isn't an upside to the problem at all. But that doesn't mean you can't try and come up with one.

In this post, I will help you develop a positive mindset when you feel discouraged. Being positive can do wonders! It helps you feel better about the situation and you won't dwell on it for long (though you still may be upset about it sometimes).

Sit Back and Reflect

I'm sure when you are replaying the scene in your head over and over again, you feel this ache in your heart. You think about what you could've said or done to change the outcome.

This is actually important because it lets you think about how you're feeling and what you can do to make sure this doesn't happen again. It could motivate you to make a POSITIVE change, because next time, you'll understand your mistake.

Sometimes, there really isn't anything you could do to change the outcome. It just happens and it wasn't your fault.

Take a few minutes to sit down and think about what happened. It hurts but you'll be doing it anyway.

Then, reflect on yourself and the situation itself. Did you do something wrong? Was it inevitable? Could you have changed the outcome?

Ponder these questions for a few minutes before you do anything else. It sometimes helps to just think.

Do Something to Take Your Mind Off of it

After you've reflected, stop thinking about it. Literally just try to bury it in the back of your mind (if the situation is not too important where it could wait) for a couple of hours and do something that makes you happy.

This could be watching your favorite comfort TV show. Or a favorite movie. You could possibly read a book or even draw to distract yourself. Or maybe you would like to play a sport. The possibilities are endless.

Whenever I feel like this and my anxiety is close to taking over, I usually watch one of my favorite shows or listen to music. Sometimes, the music makes me more sad so I usually just stick with watching something instead.

If I have homework to finish, I'll even focus on homework to get my mind off of what's happening. You can do literally anything, but just don't think about the your current problem.

Focus on that activity and cheer yourself up. This is a way for you to cope with the situation, at least for a few hours.

Think Positively

This is very vague, I know. What do I mean by thinking positively? Well, really, that's up to you.

Sometimes, stuff like this just happens. It's not anyone's fault (most of the time) and thinking negatively won't do anything.

Instead, trying to come up with a positive solution or thinking of the good can change your entire perspective.

It's exhausting to continuously mope on the problem, so why not try to change your mindset and think of the good?

For example, let's say you got a bad test grade. You sit around moping, thinking you're a failure, and that you're not worth it (I've been there).

What you could do to change that negative mindset is by thinking about how it's just one test grade. Yes, there may or may not be times where you will get a few bad grades but grades don't define you. Take this as a learning opportunity to improve and grow.

Think about how you can develop a new study habit and think about how you're worth more than your grades. In a few days, you'll forget about this aching feeling anyway.

You have to think about how these things happen. It's happened to many people, and you just so happened to be one of them.

If something bad happens, take a deep breath and tell yourself it's okay. Don't be discouraged by it. Think about the good. "Maybe it happened for a reason." "This is fine, I can learn from this and improve." Etc.

Try Not to Stress

The biggest issue with feeling discouraged is the feeling of stress and anxiety. I sometimes still struggle with this, but then I remind myself to think positively and not make myself upset even further.

There are things that will hurt you. There are things that will break you. What's important is that you stand up from them and show yourself that you are strong enough to overcome those problems.

You are incredibly worth it. Start believing that.

Try breathing exercises or again, do something that helps alleviate your stress. This can help you feel better and hopefully let you think about the good of the situation.

It's difficult, I know. But it's worth it in the end.

That's all!

I hope this post helped in any way. They may be vague but these are important to taking a step forward in the right direction.

With the right words, you can overcome certain challenges in order to turn yourself into a better person.

Remember, positivity is key. I believe all of you have the potential to work towards creating a better place.

Thank you for reading, lovelies. Have a great day and stay positive!