The power of positive thinking

There are many distressing times in life when we all need to hear some encouraging words to keep us motivated or to help us work through the distress that we’re experiencing. But there are many distressing times like these when you are also alone, and you need to encourage yourself to stay strong. Often, this can be done with self-encouraging coping thoughts. Coping thoughts are reminders of how strong you’ve been in the past when you survived distressing situations, and they’re also reminders of encouraging words that have given you strength. Coping thoughts are especially helpful when you first notice that you’re feeling agitated, nervous, angry, or upset. If you can recognize your dis- tress early on, you’ll have a better chance of using one of these thoughts to help soothe yourself. Maybe there are even situations in your life that occur on a regular basis, when you can predict that one of these coping thoughts might be useful.

Here is a list of some coping thoughts that many people have found to be helpful:

· “This situation won’t last forever.”

· “I’ve already been through many other painful experiences, and I’ve survived.”

· “This too shall pass.”

· “My feelings make me uncomfortable right now, but I can accept them.”

· “I can be anxious and still deal with the situation.”

· “I’m strong enough to handle what’s happening to me right now.”

· “This is an opportunity for me to learn how to cope with my fears.”

· “I can ride this out and not let it get to me.”

· “I can take all the time I need right now to let go and relax.”

· “I’ve survived other situations like this before, and I’ll survive this one too.”

· “My anxiety/fear/sadness won’t kill me; it just doesn’t feel good right now.”