Change and uncertainty have been constants in our professional lives for the past several months and it can be incredibly difficult to deal with day-in and day-out. It can make us feel very discouraged and cynical and we may feel like it’s impossible to break the cycle of negative thinking. Did you know that we have about 50,000 spontaneous thoughts, images and ideas every day? Whether they’re positive or negative, they intrude into our awareness. And it’s those negative thoughts that are more likely to “stick” in our brain.

Is there any way to break the cycle, particularly when you’re in the thick of a particularly challenging period of life? Negativity is a habit and, luckily, most habits can be broken with awareness, motivation to change and putting in the work. Here are 3 ways to get started:

Manage your expectations: So often, we expect things to work out one way and they don’t. That’s why we don’t want to place a lot of specific expectations on an outcome we can’t predict. We’re less prepared for surprises when we have a preconceived idea about how something will turn out. By managing our expectations, we’re able to be more resilient when change inevitably happens.

Monitor your social media time: We’re all guilty of it: you come home from a challenging day, you flop in the couch and start scrolling through your social media feeds. Before you know it, you’re surrounded by pictures of your friends’ “perfect vacations”, “perfect children” and articles about what DOGE may be doing next. And you end up feeling worse. Be mindful of the time you spend on social media and how it makes you feel. You can even set a timer on your phone to set limits for scrolling. Think about replacing “doom scrolling” with something that brings you happiness and fulfillment: reading, listening to music, taking a walk in nature, etc.

Let negative thoughts come and go – and question their accuracy: Allow yourself to have those negative thoughts and stop telling yourself that you shouldn’t think that way. Acknowledge the thought and then let it go. You can even visualize your thoughts as balloons that float away right after you have them. Also, question whether your thoughts and concerns are even true. So often, we allow our emotions to become truth and dictate how we perceive and react to situations. It can be freeing to say, “just because I believe something, it doesn’t mean that it’s true.”

We can’t stop life’s ebbs and flows, but we can learn how to accept change and break the cycle of negativity. Asking for help or even knowing where to start can feel daunting. Leah M Joppy and Associates is ready to help you thrive through challenging times and enhance your resiliency skills. Call us at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com.

Note: Our ‘Purposeful Retirement’ seminar on June 28th will now be held via Zoom. To learn more and register, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/purposeful-retirement-workshop-love-your-next-chapter-tickets-1325629667019.