How can you use positive emotions to overcome setbacks in your life?

Positive emotions are like the colorful confetti that brighten up our lives! They're the feelings of happiness, joy, gratitude, love, and contentment that lift our spirits and make us feel good. Generating positive emotions is like throwing a party for your soul! You can do it by practicing gratitude, indulging in activities you love, connecting with loved ones, setting and achieving small goals, and treating yourself with kindness and self-compassion. Think of positive emotions as your secret weapon against setbacks! They provide the resilience and motivation needed to bounce back.

Positive emotions play a crucial role in our well-being, and there have been extensive studies on ten specific positive emotions: joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe, and love (Fredrickson, 2013). Cultivating these positive emotions allows us to expand and experience more positivity in our lives. Emotions like gratitude and serenity provide stability and serve as anchors, helping us direct our attention towards what is good and counteract the negativity bias. By enhancing positive emotions, we can deepen our connections with others, as we are able to share common interests and experiences that evoke awe, inspiration, and encouragement.

When faced with challenges, I intentionally focus on cultivating gratitude, resilience, and optimism. Gratitude allows me to appreciate the silver linings amidst adversity, fostering a positive perspective. Resilience becomes a guiding force, helping me bounce back and learn from setbacks rather than dwelling on them. Embracing optimism, I envision a brighter future, channeling positive energy into finding solutions. By consciously infusing positive emotions into my mindset, setbacks become stepping stones for growth, enabling me to navigate life's twists with a resilient and optimistic spirit.

Setbacks are something which everyone experiences in life at some point of time so a person with positive attitude and perspective can use that setback as an strong come back. Use your sadness, anger of failure, questioning mind in coming back again to defeat the set back. There’s a good thing about bad time that it doesn’t last for long. So, fighting it with the positive attitude is going to give tremendous results and a stronger you will come out.

To put very simply, positive emotions are what we feel when we feel ALIVE (Joy, excitement, peace, etc.) and negative emotions are what make us feel DOWN (sadness, fear, shame, etc.). BOTH are useful, but negative emotions are ment to REDIRECT ourselves (from the things that make us feel that way) in order to live more often in the positive emotions. Numerous studies (read "The Happiness Advantage" by Shawn Anchor) show the impact of positive emotions on success, health (mental & physical) and general well-being. PS. Research "Hawkins' Emotional Vibration Scale" to learn more.

Things that will make you feel automatically good: - Meditate - Spend time in nature - Hug someone - Give a compliment - Eat chocolate - Move your body

One simple method to evoke positive emotions is by recalling specific moments that elicit those emotions. To demonstrate this, let's explore the feeling of awe. I vividly remember a moment when I experienced a profound sense of awe. It was when I found myself on a boat, surrounded by the awe-inspiring Niagara Falls. The sheer magnitude and grandeur of the falls left me in awe. Even now, as I recall that moment, I can activate that same feeling of awe within me. The overwhelming presence of the falls, the thunderous sound of the cascading water, and my own smallness in the face of such magnificence provided me with a powerful perspective. To generate positivity, simply recall, visualize, and savor positive moments in your mind.

The ultimate goal is to have a high "baseline of happiness" but it always comes down to our daily actions and habits. To feel more positive emotions, we want to engage in behaviours that give us instantly that result (releasing the "happy hormones" which the main are dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphin). Some activities that can result in increased positive emotions are physical exercice, playing with a pet, dancing, being in nature, laughing, meditating, eating food, and more. The more we engage daily in these type of activity, the more we will experience positive emotions and also raise our "happiness baseline" (average level of happiness in your life).

Yes! I’m a coach and have a coach for this very reason. We know the brain is wired to survive, which means we have a lean towards fear and protection. Being able to shift our focus on what’s good, what’s working, all the possibilities of things turning out well, for example, brings peace, calm and joy!

Overcoming setbacks with positive vibes is like adding a dash of sunshine to a gloomy day! Picture this: gratitude as your trusty sidekick, reminding you of the silver linings. Self-compassion steps in like a gentle cheerleader, urging you to be kind to yourself. Visualize success as your personal hype squad, boosting confidence and keeping motivation on point. Rally your support crew of loved ones for a dose of encouragement and a big group hug of belonging. And don't forget to sprinkle in activities that spark joy – they're like little fireworks of positivity! With this lively toolkit, you'll dance through challenges with a skip in your step and a beaming smile!

Hope is a crucial positive emotion that becomes particularly valuable during times of setbacks. Cultivating hope is both a skill and a conscious decision in how we direct our attention and focus. Our natural negativity bias often leads us to fixate on failures and self-criticism, which lead to low self-esteem. However, positive emotions allow us to approach setbacks with objectivity and kindness, enabling us to reframe the circumstances and extract valuable lessons from them. Instead of becoming trapped in negativity, setbacks can serve as inspiration to explore new approaches and engage with others. They can motivate us to summon the courage necessary for trying different methods and embracing change, rather than remaining stagnant.

Absolutely. Although I would mention that "quick fixes" (aka positive habit that will bring you up in the moment) will never be stronger than your core beliefs (which give meaning to life situations). So if you've just been fired from your job, going for a run will for sure make you feel better, but if you will quickly fall back into a "dark space" unless your core beliefs are that life challenges are ment to make you stronger, that there is a lesson in every life situations, and other "positive beliefs".

If you are going through hard times, and struggling with your mental health, there is a “light at the end of the tunnel” as they say. I have lived experience of poor mental health, but I was able to reflect on the experience and went through a process called “Post Traumatic Growth (PTG)”. This is where you learn through experience and ultimately use those struggles to make yourself a better person. It’s also something that unlocks your empathy so you are able to help others through their own mental health journey. That’s how you use positive qualities to overcome one of lives toughest setbacks. If you can win the battle over your own mind, you are unstoppable.

When dealing with setbacks, it is crucial to approach our emotions with care and avoid dismissing feelings of sadness and disappointment prematurely. Emotions serve as important signposts, and it is essential to honor and respect them. Once we have acknowledged and validated our difficult emotions, we can then transition to harnessing positive emotions, such as curiosity and gratitude, to propel us forward. Curiosity allows us to explore potential blind spots that may have contributed to the setbacks, doing so with a non-judgmental and compassionate mindset. Gratitude, on the other hand, serves as a reminder that we still have the opportunity to learn from our experiences and strive for improvement in the future.

When setbacks crash the party, grab a mental confetti cannon and celebrate the awesome things in your life. It's like a positivity parade that'll make setbacks wanna join in on the fun! Lights, camera, action! Picture yourself soaring high above setbacks, wearing a cape of confidence. Add some positive affirmations for that extra "POW!" Factor. You're the star of your own success movie! When setbacks try to steal your groove, crank up the joy volume! Dance, sing, paint – whatever makes your heart do a happy dance. When life throws a curveball, gather your A-team of cheerleaders! They'll shower you with confetti of encouragement and raise a toast to your resilience. Setbacks can't RSVP to this love-filled party!

If you are going through hard times, and struggling with your mental health, there is a “light at the end of the tunnel” as they say. I have lived experience of poor mental health, but I was able to reflect on the experience and went through a process called “Post Traumatic Growth (PTG)”. This is where you learn through experience and ultimately use those struggles to make yourself a better person. It’s also something that unlocks your empathy so you are able to help others through their own mental health journey. That’s how you use positive qualities to overcome one of lives toughest setbacks. If you can win the battle over your own mind, you are unstoppable.

Focus on gratitude! Your brain can't process lack and gratitude at the same time. So by focusing on 3 things that you are grateful for (big or small), your brain automatically shifts into gratitude. If you are going through a tough time, it might be tougher to find things to be grateful for but if you really think about it.. you will find them!

Turn those positive emotions into your daily dose of sunshine! Start by keeping a gratitude journal, jotting down things that light up your world. Throw a self-love party regularly, complete with your favorite treats and activities, to celebrate YOU! Craft a vision board to keep your eyes on the prize of success. Set a standing date with your support squad for a boost of cheer and encouragement. And don't forget to curate a 'Joy To-Do List' filled with activities that make your heart dance! These routines will keep the positive vibes flowing, even when setbacks try to steal the spotlight!

Look into Positive Psychology. It’s a great insight into how to activate those feel good chemicals within the brain, while also looking at how you can look at negative situations through a positive lens to reach a positive outcome.

Remember, life's journey is full of twists and turns. Alongside positive emotions, it's important to be patient with yourself and practice resilience. Embrace setbacks as opportunities for growth, and don't forget to celebrate your victories, no matter how small. And most importantly, keep that positive party spirit alive – you're the DJ of your own happiness!