…whenever I’m faced with any sort of negative media or situation I find myself feeling really drained and affected. What are some ways of dealing with negativity?
Thank you for your question. Negativity and general stress about life is something that can be very hard to deal with for all of us. It can be really hard to keep a positive attitude and outlook when media and general life situations are filled with so much negativity and hardship. Surrounding yourself with things that make you happy, positive people, and engaging in activities and situations that inspire you are all good ways to keep yourself thinking positively. It’s important to prioritize self-care, and make sure that you are keeping people in your life who are not toxic, and who will not bring down your mental state. If your social media, news media, and other networks are filled with nothing but negative news, stories, situations, etc, it can be helpful to filter the content you receive, or even delete certain accounts so that your feed is more filled with things that make you happy and inspire you. While filtering your media can help to ease out some of the negativity there will often still be times when you are faced with bad news, and unpleasant situations no matter what you do. Being able to cope with these situations when they come rather than always censoring bad things from your life can be a very valuable skill to have in today’s society.
Surrounding yourself with lots of positivity can help put some of the bad things you see into perspective, and help to keep the world from looking so hopeless. Changing your outlook and attitudes about the world can make a big difference in seeing the world in a more positive light. For some people when they are faced with some kind of unpleasant news about the world, it can help them to look to other sources to find some good news as well. This can help a person to rationalize that, while the world does have its flaws and hardships, it also has an overwhelming amount of goodness and kindness as well. Changing your outlook on the world is a slow, gradual and sometimes difficult process. Humans are very social and interdependent creatures, so it is very important to remember you should never be expected to have to do these things alone. It is always okay to reach out for help. Talking to supportive friends, family members, or professionals like therapists and counselors is a great way to feel less alone when dealing with the effects of negativity. Talking with these people about your feelings when you are faced with negative situations can be very helpful to process a bad situation, and talking to others can help to rationalize the negativity we face. Talking to a counselor or professional can be helpful as they can help you develop coping strategies and methods that work best for you specifically.
Sometimes understanding a situation can help alleviate some of the fear and stress that, that situation may bring.
For example, if faced with a difficult news article or something that happened in the world or your personal life that left you feeling drained and affected it can be helpful to research the situation and find reliable sources that will tell you the complexities of the situation, and perhaps some of the things people are doing to make things right, or improve the situation. Researching and understanding a situation can bring comfort for you, and hope for the future of the situation.
Thank you so much for your question and please feel free to chat with us online at www.Calgaryconnecteen.com, or text us at 587.333.2724 during our peer support hours (can be found on the website) if you find yourself needing someone to talk to. Our trained volunteers are always here to help and support you.
