How to Stop Focusing on Negative Thoughts?
It’s hard to keep your mind on the right track and see the bright side of things during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Each time you speak to someone over the phone or you log into your social media account, you are bombarded by negative news related to people who have fallen ill or died or friends who have lost their jobs. Because you can’t and probably don’t want to completely turn your back on the world until zombie apocalypse is over, here are a few tips to help you focus less on negative thoughts.
- Limit your exposure to news
The more you watch the news, the easier it is to become anxious and concerned because almost all you here these days is related to death and illness. While it is important to keep up to date with what is happening in our country and around the world, this doesn’t mean you should constantly check the latest updates to see if any new restrictions have been imposed or lifted.
Try to set a schedule for your news-watching or reading program and limit your exposure to news to an hour or two per day. If you still have to much time on your hands as you might be stuck at home with no work, try to watch other types of programs besides the news. Where is that list of Oscar movies you’ve always wanted to watch and never had time to?
- Do something relaxing
This is important in any distressful period, but especially now that you are forced to spend so much time at home. If things were different, you could have gone out mor to socialize with friends, indulge in shopping or run in the park, these are some common activities that help people relax.
However, with these coronavirus limitations, you will need to find other ways of boosting your morale from the comfort of your home. If you have a passion for reading, now’s the time to cuddle on your sofa with a pile of books by your side and a cup of tea or glass of wine.
- Get enough sleep
Not being able to go to work can cause a great imbalance in most people’s life. If you are lucky enough to be able to do your job remotely, you still have to wake up each day at a given hour, which means there is some order in your schedule. However, you too might be tempted to spend more time in the evening in front of the TV or on social media. Going to sleep later than your previous sleep time can make you grow more and more tired day by day, which decreases your happiness hormones and brings your morale down.
Finally, there’s nothing to gain from focusing on the worse, alone, you can’t change the world, nor bring the pandemic to an end. With a little bit of optimism, however, you can get through this crisis easier.
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