People love talking about what they care about, what motivates them, and what makes them happy, but it doesn’t come up in conversation very often.
Check out sites like the Good News Network, Happy News, The Huffington Post Good News, or Daily Good. They focus on positive news stories about good things humans do. For a quick mood boost, try searching “random acts of kindness” on YouTube and watch a short video compilation of heartwarming stories.
Really listen to what kids say and watch what they do. Being more childlike and acting playful like them can help you enjoy the world more. Watch how kids get creative when they solve problems and are always in awe when they learn new things. There’s always something new to see in the world!
Follow accounts that make you happy (like a page devoted to cute animals or cool art) to make your social media sphere a positive, rewarding place. Balance your feed with news and happy content. It’s good to know what’s going on in the world, but “doomscrolling” won’t help your mood. Sharing good news will make you feel better and spread positivity to other people, too.
Explore your passions and interests with your volunteer work—you’ll have more fun and your work will feel more important and fulfilling. Volunteer work will make you feel less stressed, anxious, or angry and gives you a new sense of purpose. Volunteering helps you make new friends and improves your social and relationship skills so you’ll feel more connected to your community.
Write in a gratitude journal each night before bed. Turn off all distractions and write down at least 3 things you’re grateful for from your day. Look for public gratitude journals online to get inspired by what diverse groups of people are thankful for.
Act selflessly when it comes to helping others. Selfishness and isolation are big contributors to the negative aspects we see in the world today. When you personify the world you want to live in, it shows other people that a kind society is attainable and encourages them to spread positivity, too.
Do a variety of nice things so your kindness doesn’t start to feel routine or compulsory. Write down a sentence or two about what you did and how it made you feel to cultivate feelings of happiness and optimism. Examples of things to do are paying someone’s parking meter when it’s empty, letting someone cut you in line, or helping a stranger carry a heavy box or bag.
Try loving-kindness meditation—take a few minutes each day to meditate and silently repeat mantras to send warmth, kindness, and goodwill to others. Seeing someone help or elevate another human being is incredibly inspiring and often creates a ripple effect of compassion from others.
Share articles or videos you find that highlight heroic or kind acts—this counts as spreading stories, too! Celebrate awe-inspiring things people do like throwing a race to help an injured athlete or rescuing a pet caught in a burning home. Storytelling stimulates the neurochemicals associated with empathy and literally brings people’s brains together.
Remember that faith in humanity isn’t something you lose or find. You can empower yourself to be optimistic and make positive change in the world.
Limit your social media use to stop “doomscrolling. ” Only check the news once a day to stay informed without taking a toll on your mental health. Look for uplifting stories to balance the coverage about pandemic updates, climate change, war, and more.
It’s difficult, but remember that there are trustworthy people out there and that you deserve to have trustworthy people in your life. Invest in your relationships with others and gradually open yourself up to them to work on building trust with new people.
Remember that falling for a scam does not make you stupid or gullible—everyone makes mistakes sometimes, and scammers are good at what they do. Accept your emotions to move past them. Let yourself feel angry or sad—those feelings will fade away faster if you don’t resist them. Lean on your friends and family while you recover. There might be scammers out there, but you have many times more good people in your corner.
Focus on your strengths, core values, and beliefs. This will help you to succeed despite other peoples’ biases and make you resilient to future challenges. [15] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source Open up to your support system about your experiences and to prevent internalizing other people’s beliefs about you. Try not to dwell on episodes of discrimination. Instead, create a plan for how to cope with future incidents and go on with the rest of your day.
Remember there’s no right or wrong way to feel. It’s understandable that you’d be angry with humanity, so let yourself feel it in order to work through it. [17] X Trustworthy Source HelpGuide Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources. Go to source Try not to relive the experience in your head or consume media about similar incidents. Take a break from news outlets that remind you of your trauma. Volunteer to connect with others and feel helpful and friendly. If volunteering feels overwhelming, simply help out a neighbor or hold a door for a stranger. Be patient with yourself—recovery from abuse or violence takes time. Give yourself time to heal and mourn any losses you’ve experienced.
