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Turning Negatives Into Positives
At the suggestion of Lightuptheworld, I thought I'd start another 'Turning Negatives into Positives' thread like there is on the old forum. Below is a quote from Antria who started the thread on the previous forum which I think explains the idea of the thread quite well.
"Sometimes it can be helpful to turn our thinking around and begin to challenge the way we look at things. Turning negatives into positives is a way of doing this! Basically, think of something that happened today, this week, this month or at some other time that felt negative and see if you can find a positive in it (or that came out of it)."
I find posting in this thread really helps me to look at things in a different way or see positives that I might not have noticed if I'm in a negative headspace. I'll start the ball rolling:
Negative: My friend didn't turn up to class this morning and I was worried I would be alone because I don't really know anyone else in the class.
Positive: It gave me a chance to sit with new people and get to know them better 🙂
Over to you!
Positive - Had a good day, work was very relaxed and got good news for my clients and also went to watch Trevor Noah (African Comedian) today. So overall had a great day 🙂
Positive: today was my last tutorial at uni after a long 4 year degree!
Pos: I had a break before coming home. It was good news anyway (which is even more confusing..) I GOT AN INTERVIEW!!
Neg: The worrisome thoughts etc continue to bug me. The neg just seem to keep overshadowing the pos! 😕
Pos: I'm working on this!
Positive-at least the lectures are recorded and I can catch up on it later.
Negative-I concluded that I hate myself
Positive-I need to realize I'm human, I'm bound to make mistakes. i need to differentiate thoughts that come from me and from my depression.
Negative - My team lost tonight's soccer game.
Positive - We didn't lose as badly as last week, it was actually a close match and we all played well even if we got lazy and tired at the end.
Negative - My desk is covered in a day's worth of unwashed dishes which I need to clean.
Positive - All the other dishes have been done except the ones I left in my room, so I only have to wash a couple of things.
Negative - I tried writing out a summary for taking to the GP and it turned into a huge page of blah blah boring.
Positive - Don't rip it up! I can treat it as a first draft and make dot points from it now that it's written.
Negative: Feeling really really anxious from the pressure of uni assignments.
Positive: Actually sat down and tried to focus last night and managed to get one of them done!! So anxiety has reduced for the time being 🙂
Pos: I can get through this. I am going to do some journaling entry, like the clinician I talked to last night suggested
Pos: I got some of it out at least.
Neg: Haven't felt so great today/this arvo. Really struggling with these two large assessments, thoughts circling inside my mind again. Feeling a little triggered to be honest...
Pos: I've attempted those pesky assessments today. I sent an email to one teacher asking for clarification with one bit. I will revisit the assessments later. I haven't acted upon the triggered thoughts.
Neg: I feel like I'm forever in a ditch which I struggle to climb out of. Part of me just wants to give up... 😞
Pos: I'm trying.
@Bee I'm finding your honesty very encouraging, and the fact that you can find positives out of being triggered and stressed with assignments is really inspiring for me. Just letting you know I'm here for you! as is everyone else here on RO.
Hang in there! and try to keep going day by day, or even hour by hour if necessary (that's what I have to keep telling myself lately too!) Keep remembering to take breaks, rest, and do things that you enjoy (althought I'm a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to this)
If you are on a similar uni timetable to me, assessments etc will hopefully be over within the next month! And then at least that pressure might be relieved..
Anyway, just wanted to let you know I am reading your posts and thinking of you throughout this time 🙂
I'll finish off with my day.
Negative: Devleoped a really bad cold; feeling super weak; and feeling really stressed with uni.
Positive: Despite all of these things, just wrote my introduction and structure to my major (and final!) essay!
Ha Haha, regular breaks? Things I enjoy? Yeah I'm not very good at that. I tend to focus too much on one task and forget to look after myself properly! However I'm a good procrastinator, go figure!
Yeah TAFE goes along a similar route, I have about 5 weeks until holidays, but a crap tonne of work before then...
Neg: Got incredibly anxious while texting a friend this arvo..
Pos: He was understanding and gave me the space I needed.
Neg: I hate that I struggle with every tasks like this! It also brings on more neg thoughts.. 😞
Pos: I'm starting to really work through some of this. I can stop those thoughts before they invade me fully.
Negative: Feeling really depressed. So sick of this all. I feel so hopeless.
Positive: I need to remind myself of hope. There is light behind darkness. While I may be struggling, I need to hold on.
Positive: I felt better after calling KHL.
Negative: Had annoying morning, woke up my definition of early. When I got out by the time I called the taxi (I was on time) it seemed to have left me.
Positive: I still got to my appointment on time.
Negative - I've had a rough couple of days and leaving the house / being around people is the last thing I want to do.
Positive - I jumped on the bus with a packed lunch and headed for the beach, although I ended up having lunch in the park.
Negative - I headed to art therapy only to find out that todays session was music. I kind of freaked out because at the moment, music makes my mood worse. (Weird, I know)
Positive - I stayed to give it a go. It was not at all what I expected. We wrote lyrics/poems using prompts and songs without words. And now sitting here, writting about it, I feel as though I needed that session. It helped me release some clogged up feelings.
Negative: Ended up going to a few different places to try and find the mouthwash and toothpaste my new dentist recommended, turned out being a little more expensive than the recent ones I'd seen...
Positive: I eventually found it and picked it up. At least it will help my teeth 🙂
Negative: Woke up feeling sick again this morning, and very unmotivated
Positive: I'm doing a little better at the moment, I've kept my fluids up and kept myself nice and warm! 🙂 Even got a nice amount of work done today! #winning
Positive: I'm trying to remain as calm as possible. I can try a couple things, hopefully I don't have to redo the whole thing, it took me all day!
Negative: I asked my brother, and all he went on about was other useless crap.. which only confused me and made me head hurt!
Positive: I can google it tomorrow.
Neg: Just realised how much work there is that I have to do, that I have not done! 😮 😞 Starting to really panic about it because I should have a lot of this already done!
Pos:I'm doing my best. I need to remind myself that I've been pacing myself all last week, and things were not done because I was so tired. My teacher said to make sure I take care of myself!
Neg: I feel like I've just completely stuffed it all up. I've fallen into a negative ditch again:(
Pos: I'm doing my best! I have all my plans written up! I have a a fair few reflections written up!
Neg: I'm a little scared that 1. I wont have enough hours/I wont complete the required hours & 2. I wont get everything done.
Pos: I am doing my best, I will get as much done as I can. I can talk to my teacher about it if it looks like a real posibiliy of me not finishing it all.
Neg: I'm not feeling very motivated now after all this thinking. 😕
Pos: I am going to take a break, then come back to start something else! 🙂
@Bee could you ask your placement supervisor if you can do an extra day or 2 so that you can get your required hours?
neg: Really felt like giving craft-a-noon a miss because I just wasn't feeling it.
pro: I reminded myself of how much I enjoy it and how great I feel afterwards.
Background Story
I caught a different bus than my usual into craft-a-noon. It is a more popular route and the bus was starting to fill up. I was fine with a lady sitting down next to me, I just moved over a bit more to give me a little space between us.
neg: I had an anxiety attack when she decided to move over more leaving me with no space what-so ever.
pro: I just reminded myself that I was alright, this was just a feeling and there was nothing to be worried about. I was able to nip the attack early.
neg: I'm really anxious about all the stuff I need to do before leaving for the wedding tomorrow.
pro: Made a list of everything that needed to get done and I don't feel as bad anymore.
neg: Feeling extremely nervous about this weekend.
pro: I'm going to have a wonderful time and I will soon forget about how nervous I am.
@stonepixie I can ask, but there are no garuntees I'll get extra time, especially with the way the structure of the coruse is... I'm just going to take care of myself and do the best I can in regaurds to my hours. I can fix it up later if need be 🙂 My health is more important 🙂
Negative: I still haven't done one of my assignments that was absolutely nescessary to be handed in by the end of the day.
Positive: I've emailed my teacher about it. Hopefully he'll reply soon!
Negative: I scratched off some of the top layer of skin on my chin. It hurts like hell.
Positive: It'll heal.
Negative: I am struggling. This whole week and last has not been the best.
Positive: But there have(has) been some(one) good things(thing).
Positive: I managed to calm myself down, and slow my breathing. A hot shower did me a little good.
Negative: The GP said to take tomorrow off as well, and because of that I'm really worried that I won't meet my 120 hours I need to for my placement! & to meet them means over pushing my body which I know I cannot cope with right now.
Positive: I can talk to my teacher about it tomorrow when I ring to tell her I'm not going in again.
Negative: A small part of my brain tells me that these 2 days I've got off placement as per drs orders should not be spent on assessments.
Positive: I'm doing the less stressful parts and the most time consuming parts, which I guess isn't too bad 🙂
Negative: had a really bad body image day
Postive: made lots of yummy food, and packed my gym stuff for tomorrow 🙂
Hey @EloiseRose that's so wonderful that even when feeling the painful lows of a bad body image day, you were still able to love and care for yourself enough to provide your body food and movement.
Hey @redhead that's wonderful that you were able to use your strategies to lift your mood. Well done. 🙂
Pos: It's my last thing to do! I'm going to finish this last bit which I kinda understand, then go look through my folder for a page I think i may have, then if I'm still stuck I'll go and see if my teach is still on campus!
Neg: I got my blood test results back today and nothing showed. So I still don't know what is causing this wrist pain! #Mixedemotions
Pos: Nothing showed! Meaning it could just be my over flexibility & hyper extension causing the pain. I still have the option to get an injection from the other GP.. hmm Decisions.
Neg: I was so scared last night that we lost one of our cats.
Pos: He came home this morning! & we got them collars, although they're not impressed with them 😛 (keeps animal rescue from picking them up!)
Pos: It's more manageable now, I'm not crying anymore, and the pain relief is probably helping..
Neg: I'm worried that this pain will come on like this while on placement... 😞
Pos: I'm going to talk to my TAFE teacher & Supervisor on placement about it, just in case.
Negative: Recieved an email this afternoon which made me feel quite upset for many different reasons.
Positive: I let myself cry about it. I'm going to try to resolve it all tomorrow.
Negative: It feels like everytime I try to be honest to those around me, I get crap thrown back at me for it. I feel like it always seems to land me in trouble... :'( I feel like I can't trust anyone...
Positive: I think I need to adapt a build trust relationship first before being so open to people..
Negative: I am feeling very negative about myself tonight... 😞
Positive: I am going over to Everyday Life Stuff then going to distract myself with some Assessments 🙂 Hopefully I can get a fair chunk done 🙂