At times when everything can feel so dark and hopeless, it can be helpful to have some strategies we can use to stay positive.  One important thing to keep in mind is that no matter how bleak it seems out there at the moment, we can still remain resilient and have a positive attitude.  This is the very best emotional state for all of us to be in to have the most influence on the actions of those who are causing pain.

In situations like this, it is important not to deny your negative feelings. Make sure you make room for moments of grief including anger, sadness and pain. At the same time, become quite vigilant about irrational thoughts that you might be having about what is happening to you or those around you that you care for.  Challenge thoughts around hopelessness, self downing, and extremely negative thoughts about others.  Replace them with more rational thoughts which don’t cause you as much distress.

As simple as this sounds, make sure each day you think of a few things that you feel grateful for.  There may not be a lot at the moment but there are always a few positives in life that are worth mentally focus on.  Random acts of kindness to others without expecting anything back has also been shown to produce feelings of happiness.   It’s also important to challenge others if you see them responding in unhelpful ways such as devaluing others.  This has an extremely negative impact on the person doing it and those around you.

When we support and care for each other, stay positive, look after ourselves, keep motivated and stand united as a community have untold power to make positive change.