How to Stay Positive in Uncertain Times in Latin America

By Marie Miguel 21 January, 2022

All around the world, there has been upheaval in many lives due to the global pandemic, and there are also localized issues that have affected those in Latin America. With all of these events taking place, it can be hard to remember to stay positive, and even if you want to, you may not know how. This article will offer suggestions on being happy, even in the most uncertain of times.

Why Staying Positive is Especially Important in Latin America

The pandemic and COVID-19 have hit the region of Latin America harder than other areas. This has a lot to do with socioeconomic factors and the fact that certain lockdown restrictions were impossible to uphold in certain nations. Many citizens have to work and have no other options. It isn’t feasible for them to stay at home and work. These ideas are talked about in the Harvard Gazette.

You don’t have to focus on these setbacks, however. If you have been affected by sickness or have lost others close to you, it is necessary to stay positive and invested in the future of your family. This can be advantageous for your physical and mental health.

Ways to Stay Positive

There are a few ways that you can begin to start thinking more positively, which won’t be difficult to adopt.

Talk to a Counselor

If you have many negative thoughts and you don’t know what to do about them, you may want to talk to a counselor about these thoughts. A professional may be able to offer advice and suggestions on how to think optimistically. In other words, they should be able to help you learn how to change the way that you think, where you can begin to think positive thoughts instead of negative ones.

For more details on optimism, check out this website.

Don’t Focus on the Bad

When you are overwhelmed or things seem to be going wrong, you might start focusing on the bad things that are occurring. However, it may be a better idea to focus on the good things. If you are able to name the aspects of life that you are thankful for, it might be able to change your perspective a bit. Moreover, do your best not to worry about issues that are out of your reach. You can’t change world events or people, which may be aspects that are stressing you out. It may be better to focus on things that you are able to change and make variations when you need to.

Start Exercising

Exercise is an activity that might be able to help you stay positive as well. Not only can it help you work off excess energy, so you can sleep better at night, but it may also allow you time to work out problems that you are facing. When you aren’t directly thinking about an issue, sometimes the answers come to you more easily.

Spend Time With Others

You should also consider spending time with people that you care about. They may be able to aid you in staying positive when you are feeling down or are apprehensive about the future. They may even be a source of advice for you as well, especially if you know that they have been through hard times.

If you can’t be around the people you want to be around, do what you can to keep in contact with them. Take the time to message them on social media, call them on the phone, or even have video calls each week.

Do Something You Like

Another approach you can take to stay positive is to do things that you like to do. Although you may not be able to engage in all the things that you want to, choose simple activities that entertain you and make you happy. Perhaps you like to read books or eat cookies. Go ahead and read your favorite book and eat cookies for an afternoon. Think about activities that make you smile and indulge yourself sometimes. If you don’t know what you want to do, you can just take some time to be alone. In other words, take a break from everything when you are able to, even if it is just for 5 minutes.

Conclusion

When you are trying to stay positive in uncertain times, there are some simple places to begin to alter your thinking. You can talk to a counselor, hang out with loved ones, do things you like to do, and exercise. Keep trying and see which one of these techniques works well for you. You won’t know until you try.

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.


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