This pandemic has caught everyone by surprise. We woke up one day and the world is different. Suddenly, it is like we are all living inside a science-fiction movie. We watch in horror as we see the number of people dying all around the world. What is COVID? How did this thing even happen? And even if we find the vaccine soon, the world will no longer be the same again. As we struggle to adapt to the new normal, another crisis is in the corner – the global economic crisis brought about by this pandemic. It’s not just a health issue now; there is still the challenge on how to survive this economic crisis. In times like this, it is difficult to be happy, much less stay sane. So, how to be happy in difficult times?
Below are some tips on how to be happy in difficult times:
1.Focus on What you Have NOT on What you Don’t Have
What’s the first thing that you do in the morning? if you have a habit of watching the news or checking your social media, then it is time to change your habit. The news will be full of bad things happening around you while your social media will contain things that others have that you don’t have. Instead of that, why not start a gratitude journal and write down at least three things that you are grateful for. By doing this simple thing, you are shifting your focus from the negative to the positive. Then you are starting your day on a positive note. Through this habit, you will be surprised that you can easily find joy in the little things in life.
The earlier you learn that you should focus on what you have, and not obsess about what you don’t have, the happier you will be.
– Amy Poehler
2.Accept Things That You Cannot Change
Many of us gets frustrated with things that are beyond our control. The pandemic, the past and other people are just some of the things that we have no control over. The sooner we accept that we cannot change these things, the sooner we will be happy.
In order to fully accept the situation, you need to go through a process of grieving first. Go ahead, cry your heart out. Feel the sadness and the pain. It’s okay to not be okay for some time. But don’t let it consume you. After some time, you need to start living your life again.
Focus on the things that you can change. You cannot control the pandemic but you can protect yourself from diseases. You may be buried in debt but you can slowly improve your finances through financial literacy. Learn to differentiate the things that you can and cannot change.
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
– Reinhold Niebuhr
3. Surround Yourself with Happy, Positive Individuals
Did you know that you are the average of the five people you spend the most of your time with? If you surround yourself with positive people, you will also have a positive attitude in life. In the same way that if you spend too much time with toxic individuals like those people who complain a lot, then you will also end up feeling down. Be wise. Be choosy about the people you hang out with.
You are the average of the five people you spend most of your time with.
– Jim Rohn
4. Find your Purpose
It may sound cliche, but things really do happen for a reason. There is a lesson with all this like how important our health is as well as the environment. The important thing here is to learn the lesson and move on. A purpose will give us the reason to move on. Life is not a steady path, there will always be bumps and obstacles along the way. Having a clear goal, will keep us walking on that path amidst the challenges. So, find your purpose. Unleash the genius within you. Your purpose is always connected with your gifts, talents and passion.
He who has why to live can bear almost any how.
-Friedrich Nietzsche
Feature Image by Enrique Meseguer from Pixabay Images