Keeping a positive mindset is not an easy thing to do. In our interaction with the world and with people, we hear upsetting news, people and places frustrate us, and we can easily start to spiral into negativity. Whilst it is impossible to avoid negativity completely, we can do a few simple things to help counterbalance it. The best way to guard against negativity is by creating a positive environment. In this blog, I will share my tips on how to make your living space, social space, and online space, ones that nurture positivity.

Why Positivity is Powerful and Important

Learning to cultivate positivity is a powerful tool to have in your mental health tool kit. The reason for this is because when we feel low, our perception shifts to focus on negativity. Feeling low means it is easier to take on board the negativity which then can lower our mood further. By finding ways to bring positivity into our daily life, it’s possible to switch our perception, from the negative to the positive. Positive things make us smile and smiling lifts our mood. Therefore, we can stop that downward mood spiral that focusing on the negative causes.

How to Create a Positive Environment

There are several ways we can create feelings of positivity. In this blog, I will share the tips I have used to make the space around me into a positive environment*. By the immediate environment, I mean the following spaces :

  • Living space – Your home, or room in which you spend most of your time
  • Online space – Your social media platforms, pages, and groups
  • Social space – Your friends and social groups

How to Create a Positive Living Space

The immediate physical space where you live has the most significant impact on your mood.  Where you get up every morning and where you go to bed, in turn, affects how you feel.  It is crucial that your living space is one where you feel comfortable, nurtured and relaxed.

You do not have to live in a palace with the latest design features from ‘Homes on-demand’, (or whatever the latest TV program is that only ever serves to make our self-esteem plummet). Even the most basic dwelling can be turned into a positive environment. Trust me, I have achieved this in a tent. The following simple touches can make the biggest difference in your mood.

Keep it Tidy

They do say that a tidy place equals a tidy mind and there is a lot of truth in that. I can tell the state of my mental health by the mess that surrounds me.

Even if you are having a low day, you don’t have to be a cleaning diva to make things a little tidier. The simple act of shuffling papers into a pile, picking up the tissues off the floor, or sweeping the mess of the bedside table into a tub or basket, can make the world of difference. A little bit of organization can reduce stress levels dramatically.

Soothe your Senses

Our senses are linked to our mood, so making our living space smell inviting can, in turn, lift our mood. Different fragrances can calm us or energize us and thus turn out environment into a positive one.

It is best to steer away from harsh chemicals (as who knows what these chemicals are doing to our mood!). I do use incense sticks on occasion, but I like to make sure there is nothing nasty in them. I prefer using a wax burner, for which you can buy wax melts of all different fragrances.

Recently I began using an essential oil diffuser. A diffuser plugs into the mains and slowly warms essential oils and releases the vapour into the air. I find this incredibly soothing when I am stressed, and it helps to keep my mood positive. There are many different brands and styles to choose from depending on your tastes.

Affirmations and Quotes

I love quotes and affirmations because they help to make me smile and to remind me about what is important in life. I have all my favourite quotes in places I can see them and it’s surprising how simply walking past one and noticing it, can change a negative mood into a positive one.

creating a positive environment

One of my favorite positivity tools is my gratitude wall. I began using this a few years ago and it really does help to make a positive environment. As you can see, I decorate the wall with string lights and then hang pictures and positive quotes from it. When I am feeling negative, looking at this reminds me that I am loved, that I have had some fantastic times and that everything passes.

Keeping your Online Space Positive

The Internet can be either a negative experience or a positive one, but it’s up to us to make it one way or the other. There are lots of different ways you can make sure your online space is a positive environment.

Use the Mute Button

The simplest way to keep your online space a positive one is to unfriend pages or people, who share in negative ways. However, sometimes our own friends can be posting things that make us feel uncomfortable, but we don’t want to unfriend them and upset them. In this case, Facebook has a wonderful tool for this. which allows you to unfollow someone’s post or mute them for a short period. The person will not know you have done this, and you can change the settings again when you are in a better mental state if you wish.

Walk Away from Drama

Social media can also be a hub for drama, and this is especially the case for us in the trans community. It is always best to avoid getting sucked into these black holes but especially important when our mental health isn’t great. Don’t engage, just mute for now and walk away. 

Join Supportive Groups and Pages

There is plenty of positivity online once you start looking for it. For example, there are loads of support groups for various things and I really recommend these. However, the same tips apply, choose ones that as drama-free as possible. There are also lots of pages with motivational quotes and mental health tips. I love these and subscribe and follow a lot of them. The reason is that when I log on to any social media account, my news feeds are flooded with positive, affirming quotes that make me smile.  

Making your Social Group A positive Environment

Having mental health challenges can make it difficult to be sociable. Therefore, it is crucial that when we can get out and spend time with people, those people are friends who uplift us. Sometimes, we have friends who we love, but we can find challenging when we are low. Therefore, as hard as it is, we must look after ourselves and move away from them. It is important to do this, for the sake of our health and in order to make sure our social space is a positive environment for us to socialize in.

Set Personal Boundaries

Learning to move away from people who are not good for us is a difficult but vital skill for good mental health. As people with mental health challenges we often do two things. First, we overcompensate, and we say yes when we should say no because we don’t want to upset people. Secondly, because our self-esteem is often low, we can often allow ourselves to be treated in a way we do not deserve. Be mindful of this and set healthy boundaries so as to avoid allowing yourself to be taken advantage of. Real friends will understand and respect your needs.

Walk Away from Unhealthy Relationships and Friend Groups

The best thing you can do to create a healthy social environment is to sift through your friends and stick with the ones who love you and support you no matter what state you’re in and move away from the ones that don’t.

I learned this early on in my recovery from addiction. I had to move away from certain friends because otherwise, I could have ended up drinking again. It’s human to want to help people but sometimes, like with an oxygen mask on the plane, we must help ourselves first.  Walking away with love, is often the best thing we can do, for ourselves and other people.

By following these suggestions, you’ll be off to a great start in giving yourself the gift of a positivity buffer. Doing so will help to cushion you from all the inevitable stresses in life.

Have fun creating our own positive environment and do let me know how you get on!

Hello! My name is Finn and I have a passion for creating honest content, that inspires personal growth and promotes well-being.

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*Please note, this blog contains affiliate links which means when you buy through me. I may make a little commission. However, this is of no extra cost to you, and I only recommend products that I have personally found helpful.

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