It is not always that easy to keep a lid on your emotions when certain things happen and sometimes you might even struggle to maintain a positive mood for any reasonable amount of time.
If you feel like you are being dragged down and overwhelmed by feelings of negativity there are positive steps you can take to redress the balance.
Here are some ideas and tips on how to help banish negative emotions, starting with an overview of why you might feel that way, then followed by a look at how rediscovering a childhood activity can help. Plus an overview of mindfulness and a healthy way to lift your mood.
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Getting to the Root of the Problem
If you are feeling stressed, depressed, angry or any other sort of negative emotion that seems to be taking too much control of life, the first thing to do is identify the underlying reasons why you are harboring these thoughts.
One common issue these days is trying to do too much and feeling like you are overextended with no time to yourself. You might also feel angry, anxious or irritated if you are experiencing problems at work, in your personal life, or might be feeling lonely and isolated.
To find a solution you must identify what might be causing you emotional distress, and as well as doing this there are several things you can do to help create a more positive mood.
Coloring Benefits Your Brain
If you think back to your childhood and remember some of the things you used to enjoy doing, drawing and filling in coloring books might well be on that list.
Many children love coloring and drawing and it helps their creativity as well as reducing any anxiety they might be feeling, so the suggestion is to rediscover this popular activity and reap the health and brain benefits it offers.
Coloring for adults has soared in popularity recently and it is not hard to see why. A good option would be this coloring book app which offers you the chance to use your smartphone to reduce your stress by choosing something to color in whenever you feel your negative emotions on the rise.
Become More Mindful
The fundamental point about mindfulness is that it is a way of keeping a greater level of control over your emotions and channeling your thought process to more positive territory.
It shouldn’t take long to grasp the basics of mindfulness and if you can succeed in doing things like imagining yourself outside of your own self and see yourself from the outside, it can really help in your efforts to untangle and take control of your emotions.
Exercise Yourself Happy
If you are feeling a bit low you might also be lacking the motivation to get out and about for some fresh air and exercise, but you have to banish those thoughts and remember that exercising will get those endorphins flowing.
In simple terms, your endorphins are the natural feel-good chemicals that your body releases when you exercise. This makes it a no-brainer solution for lifting your mood, so when you are feeling like your negative emotions are coming to the surface, put on your sports gear and banish bad thoughts with some healthy exercise.
Follow some of these fixes and you should improve your chances of defeating any negative emotions.
Harvey Woods is a therapist who advocates the use of self-care, creativity and other activities to work through emotions and lead a better, stress-free life.
