Let’s face it:
It’s been a rough couple of years.
It seems like everywhere we turn we’re faced with headlines shouting at us, and sometimes it really does feel like the sky actually is falling.
It’s easy to feel miserable, when it seems that misery is everywhere around us.
But, here’s the good news:
That doesn’t have to be the case.
In this post, I’ll explain how to stop misery in its tracks…before it gets out of control and wreaks havoc on your life.
And, believe it or not, the process is actually much easier than you might think.
Note: If you’re struggling, we’re here to help. We offer a range of strategies for raising your energy, and eliminating negative, destructive thoughts. I recommend you get started with this 30-second breath exercise that’s guaranteed to lift your mood quickly and easily.
How To Stop Being Miserable All The Time
In order to stop feeling miserable all the time, you have to first recognize that the true cause of your sadness has nothing to do with the things that are going on in your life.
Our emotions come not from the events we experience, but from the thoughts, judgments, and meaning we have about those events.
In other words:
Unhappiness is a problem of perspective.
But…what does that even mean?
You see, we always have the ability to choose our state of mind. Even though it doesn’t always feel like we can, we have the ability to choose the thoughts we think, and the responses we have to the situations around us.
The key to eliminating misery, then, is to shift your focus to thoughts that cause you joy, rather than those that upset you.
There is a greate quote from Mark Nepo, author of The Book of Awakening, that sums this up perfectly:
Mark Nepo On Misery – From The Book of Awakening
If peace comes from seeing the whole, then misery stems from a loss of perspective.
Mark Nepo
In The Book of Awakening, Nepo writes that:
“We begin so aware and grateful. The sun somehow hangs there in the sky. The little bird sings.
The miracle of life just happens.
Then we stub our toe, and in that moment of pain, the whole world is reduced to our poor little toe.
Now, for a day or two, it is difficult to walk. With every step, we are reminded of our poor little toe.
Our vigilance becomes:
Which defines our day – the pinch we feel in walking on a bruised toe, or the miracle still happening?”
As we move through each day, we can let go of our misery simply by shifting our focus, and choosing to remember the miracle that is always before us.
We can find this miracle in many ways, but we must REMEMBER to look for it.
And the key to doing that is easier than you might think.
Related Post: Easy Happiness Habits You Can Start Using Immediately
The 3 Steps to Stop Feeling Miserable
If the key to finding our own inner happiness has to do with how we focus, then we have a clear path for stopping negative thoughts , anytime we might fall into them.
First, we must take a moment to Step Back.
Stepping back is a process of giving yourself a few moments simply to breathe, and to notice your breath.
I like to start this process by taking a large inhale, followed by a loud sigh, and then turning my attention into my inner torso.
The process only takes a few seconds, and is an essential foundation for so much of what we teach here at The Joy Within.
I recommend you watch this free training on stepping back before going further.
Once you have taken a moment to detach, the next step is to begin to pay attention to your thoughts.
Notice where and how they focus, and, as you are observing your thoughts, begin to pay attention to the way that they feel.
Lastly, start to play with choosing different, better-feeling thoughts.
As you gradually begin to notice and guide your thoughts, you can quickly move into better state of being.
The first few times you follow this process, it may feel strange or unnatural. That is because we are not usually accustomed to turning our attention inwards in order to choose the thoughts that we think.
Doing this requires you to become familiar with your natural, inner energy – your inner resonance – and to use that energy to consciously and deliberately change the way that you think.
The good news is that doing this is actually easier than it might sound, and once you get used to the process, you will be able to turn around any negative thought that you think, quickly and easily.
We teach how to do this in Happiness University, our members’ platform here at The Joy Within.
You can click here to learn more about Happiness University, and get started eliminating those negative tendencies, and guiding yourself into higher states of mind.
You might also like:
