Life isn’t just about what happens to you, it’s about how you choose to see it. The same setback can be a failure or a lesson and the same delay can be frustration or preparation. This article is meant to be a simple, practical guide to shifting your perspective so that you can transform your negativity in growth, doubt into confidence and obstacles into opportunities. By making small but powerful changes in how you interpret everyday experiences, you can reshape not only your mindset but your entire life.
- Dependent to Independent
College is a great way to teach individuals independence. However, a lot of us have a difficult time transitioning from being dependent at home to being independent living on our own. This is a pretty common phenomena, but easy to address and resolve. The most important thing here is to start doing things for yourself, and that can take some time to learn. Learn how to make all your favorite meals. Learn how to wash your clothes correctly. Learn how to take care of yourself when you are sick. You have to learn before you can succeed at doing things independently. One thing that some people don’t understand from this is that it’s okay to ask for help along the way. You can’t become magically independent overnight. Communicate with your friends and family for support. You are never alone.
- Ungrateful to Grateful
It can be easy to fall into the ungrateful pit, especially when we don’t take into account how lucky we are as a country to have clean running water and easier access to food. This is okay, because this happens to everyone at some point in their lives. When I was having very difficult months, I would never look at the things in my life that I should be grateful for and instead would pine over everything going wrong in my life. One solution I had to combat this was to buy a ‘Gratitude Journal’ from Target. At first, I never thought I was going to use it, but it quickly became a part of my nightly routine. It’s important to always reflect on your day and think about all the things you should be grateful for, and this journal will help you with that.
- Negative to Positive
Pessimism is quite common for people who experience adulthood for the first couple of years, especially those between the ages of 18-30. Life, quite literally, hits you like a freight train. You start to watch the news more, you experience crimes firsthand, you are always worried about your information getting stolen, car accidents, insurance coverage etc. There is always so much to worry about when you are free to live your own life independently, and that can put you in a state of pessimism. In order to go about life on a more optimistic note, it’s important to implement healthy habits into your daily routine. Some things I found particularly helpful are to read, write, exercise, focusing on hobbies and going outside. Essentially, you want to do things that are going to make you happy, which will help you go about your day with optimism in hand.
- Unhealthy to healthy mindset
It’s easy to fall into the trap of having an unhealthy mindset, especially if you are always on social media or maybe even constantly tuning in to the news. Our world can be a dark place, but it’s important to note that not everything in this world is dark or negative. Being exposed to all the negatives of adulthood makes it easy to fall into an unhealthy mindset, but there are ways you can switch to a more healthy and positive mindset. First, it’s important to learn the art of tuning out, or unplugging. Take some time away from technology and go outside for some fresh air. This will limit your access to negative content via social media or TV channels, therefore giving you a more healthy and positive mindset.
- Scared to Courageous
It’s easy to take a step back and not do something because you’re afraid. It happens, as all of us are afraid of different things. If you want to lead a more courageous lifestyle, then attempt to try something new and step outside of your comfort zone. Even if you won’t succeed the first time, at least you know that you tried and you weren’t afraid to do it. When I started at CNU, I was afraid to talk in front of large audiences. After lots of practice by doing small talks and talking to people over the phone, I got better at it. It took some time, but it was all worth it in the end. This just goes to show you that you can do anything you put your mind to, even if it’s scary the first time.
- Angry to Calm
Getting angry is just so easy to do, and it can happen at any time over anything. A part of being an adult is that you are going to deal with lots of problems that will frustrate you. It’s important that you stay calm and don’t get too angry, which is easier said than done for most of us. I tend to call myself a hothead, as I can get angry over the littlest inconvenience. However, I learned how to control my anger and channel it into something better, such as journaling or exercising. Finding something to distract yourself from the frustrations of life is so helpful and will make you a much more calm individual.
- Impatient to Patient
Impatience is another common trait that many of us have, and it leads to not super great decisions. We live in a world that is extremely fast-paced, therefore, anytime something is outside of that norm, we get very frustrated. It’s important to take a step back and breathe. A minor inconvenience isn’t costing you anything serious. Is your computer taking too long to load? Give it a minute, the wifi connection probably isn’t that great. Is someone taking too long walking down the stairs? They may have an injury you cannot see. It’s important to take a step back and practice the art of calmness in order to have more patience in yourself and others.
I hope these tips were helpful in helping you maintain a happy and positive lifestyle throughout the rest of your college career and your life beyond that. Always remember that no one is perfect and that there are days where you will feel impatient or negative. Channel that energy and turn it into a learning experience for yourself. The only one who is able to change your lifestyle and thinking is you. Be the best version of yourself!
