Why is it so challenging to stay positive when confronted with a difficult situation? Simple. Negative emotions involve more thinking and we process the information more thoroughly over a prolonged period of time. Conversely, good emotions are fleeting and they escape our consciousness quickly. In essence, we linger on the bad longer.
Therefore, we have to make a deliberate attempt to alter our behavior when mired in negative emotions or a bad situation. Here are two approaches to help shed a favorable light on bad situation.
Look for the upside. There is always something positive in any given situation. It may, however, take a concerted effort to uncover it. This approach is helpful when dealing with negative emotions or unpleasant situations that have low intensity such as day-to-day nuisance.
Find a “good news” partner. Sometimes we need a fresh positive perspective especially when we’re confronted with tough situations that have a high intensity of negative emotion. This person should be someone who will help problem solve and find a silver lining.
With either approach, it’s essential to verbalize the negative emotion and your positive reframe of the situation. This will prevent you from lingering on the bad too long and help you move along in a more productive manner.