Glendalyn Fodra Reveals 5 Ways to Stay Positive

When you are feeling down, having a positive attitude can seem light-years away. However, it is positivity that is going to help you overcome your sorrow. If you are feeling down, depressed, or moody, it’s imperative to take a step back from the situation and concentrate on raising your spirit. As a dedicated physical therapist, Glendalyn Fodra believes a positive mindset is crucial, not only in the physical rehabilitative process but in all aspects of life. Without a doubt, making this change is a challenge, but, by sticking to a few ground rules, it is possible to lift yourself back up and move away from your clouded thoughts.

Below, Glendalyn Fodra, shares five methods that can help you maintain a positive spirit, especially if you’re feeling down.

1. Accept Your Emotions

No matter how troubled you feel, and how dark your thoughts, you can’t flick a switch and stop your emotions. The first step to overcoming negative thinking is to accept your feelings and understand that there is nothing wrong or unnatural about what you are going through. A lot of guilt can arise from the expectation to simply ‘snap out of it.’ Accepting that switching your mood on and off is not a reality is crucial to taking steps to alleviate the problem.

2. Exercise

Chemicals within your brain control your mood, and when these become imbalanced, your state of mind suffers. Regular exercise can reset the equilibrium and stabilize your thoughts. It doesn’t matter what activity you undertake, all that matters is you take a bit of time for self-care, and elevate your heart-rate to boost your serotonin level.

3. Question Yourself

When you are feeling down, it is common to question people’s good intentions, and always look for negative connotations. It’s possible to flip this around and challenge your self instead. For example, if you are stuck thinking that you can’t do anything right, ask yourself if this is true. Without a doubt, you will be able to think of a time where your efforts brought you success. By questioning yourself, you are directly approaching the core issues associated with your depressive state.

4. Rephrase Your Thoughts

In your dark moments, it is common to use definitive phrases like can, can’t, don’t, or won’t. These give no room for ambiguity and convince yourself that what you are thinking is the truth. One technique to overcome this is to add spacing words. Add phrases such as ‘I think that I am’ or ‘My brain is telling me that I am.’ By doing this, you are adding distance between the words, and dissociating yourself from the thought.

5. Look to the Future

There will have been times in the past you were happy. Use this fact as evidence that you will be happy again. It may take time, but looking towards the future, and picturing yourself enjoying your life can sometimes be enough to give you the motivation to lift the gloom.

When you are feeling low, the hardest part of lifting yourself back up is breaking the cycle of negative thought. There are many ways to combat this, and you will find that different techniques work in different situations. More than anything, you mustn’t give up trying, as there will always be a solution to your problems.

About Glendalyn Fodra:

Glendalyn Fodra is a physical therapist, loving mother, and caring wife who enjoys helping others and spending quality time with friends and family. She is known for her leadership and strong work ethics, but she devotes all of her free time to caring for her family and socializing with other Filipino families in Tennessee.