A few ways to be OK...

1. Focus on what's going right - we will always be able to find things to complain about. That's certain. When we don't consciously choose to focus on what's going right for us - we can easily be distracted into focusing on everything that's not working out - a friendship breakdown, a nagging parent, a poor academic result, a global pandemic, a recession, scarcity, negativity, health scares and threats..... if we take a moment to CHOOSE how we look at things and what we think of, then that's where our energy and attention will remain. Ancient and modern day philosophers have been long professing that where out focus goes our energy flows - what we think about expands. So if you really want more positivity in your life, try focusing on what's going right - like having your health, having the space to live safely, having clean water to drink, having options, having choices. Because somewhere out there - the life we live is someone's dream.
2. Help others out - it's said in many places, and I believe it myself that the more you go out of your way to help someone out - be it with a kind gesture or word, the impact is really positive for yourself. Try it. Nothing really can make you feel better than when you help someone else out without wanting anything back in return. Pick up rubbish from your street, go donate blood if you can, open the door for someone, let someone ahead of you in traffic - small gestures or grand, it call adds to your bank of happiness. Again, plenty is said about the law of attraction - what you put out there is what you get back in terms of energy.
3. Turn comparison into inspiration - if you find yourself getting knotted up inside due to envying what someone else is doing and achieving, try stopping and looking at that person with respect and not negativity. Instead of envying them, feel it within that you are happy for them and even let them know that you admire then. Work out what it is exactly that you like about what they have achieved and use that as inspiration for what you actually want to achieve for yourself. There is an abundance of opportunity - it's limitless, just embrace the feeling that success is for you too.
4. What you think of yourself matters - so work on your inner dialogue and make yourself your truest friend, your truest champion and as Marcus Aurelius said 'Consider that everything is opinion, and opinion is in thy power'. You need to really work out what you're about, what you think, what you are wanting and presenting. So when you get feedback, positive or negative, what you actually think about yourself matters the most. Everything else is an opinion. This way - you are able to navigate from a space of confidence - you know you deserve to be there, you know you did your best, and if you blundered you accept that you have learnt a valuable lesson but that doesn't shake the brilliance in you.
5. Keep the lesson but move on - speaking of blunders, don't be fearful of mistakes, enjoy it. If you've ever had the joy of watching a child learn to walk, you'll notice that they actually laugh when they try. They fall and they laugh. They stand up again and keep trying. There's joy in the attempt - you probably, as did I, have a good time learning to walk. I'm not sure when we lose that joy of failing as we learn, but if only we can all bring that fun back as we try to do daring things and strive for something we've never done before! Mistakes aren't to be feared and avoided, they are to be made and learnt from. Make sure you do yourself a favour, learn from mistakes but always always always move on and don't keep circling back festering on the error and beating yourself up over it.
6. Reach out and get help - sometimes, emotionally, chemically, physically things may just not be ok. It's really ok to not be ok. You don't need to be super human and hold it all together all the time. If you aren't feeling ok, please be brave and reach out to a loved one or a trained professional to talk about it and get you through. You are needed. In Australia you can call LifeLine on 131114. In New Zealand you can call LifeLine on 0800 543 354.

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Thank you for reading my article. I coach and mentor the junior workforce in the organisation I work for, and am also a mother of three, wife of one and friend of many! I have been in management consulting and technology project delivery for 19 years and my joy comes from helping clients, colleagues and friends succeed personally and professionally.