Being an adult definitely has its perks, but it’s not as amazing as most of us thought it would be as kids. I remember when I was younger, I would just count down the days until I could drive myself, start college, or get a job so that I could buy myself all the makeup and purses and fun shoes. But, when those times actually rolled around, why wasn’t it as magical as I thought it was going to be? Okay, maybe some of it was. I’ll admit – driving off alone for the first time was definitely as fun as I expected, but moving out, going to college, and getting a job?! Not so fun, or at least not all the time like I had once expected.

Positive Affirmations

It’s funny because when we get to the “not-so-fun” parts of life, a switch flips in our brain and we wish that we could go back in time, when we didn’t have bills to pay and things to do. But, this is part of life, and all you can do is try your best to make the most out of each moment. There really are so many amazing things about adulting that I try my best not to take for granted, but keep in mind – that does not mean that it’s not hard! Even though there are hard points during the entire adulting process (and those hard times will never end, no matter where we go in our lives), I hope that you are seeing the positives and trying to make the most out of each day. I feel so passionate about viewing situations as the glass being half full, so I decided to write this blog post, about ways that you can focus on the positives instead of the negatives…or at least try your best to do so! Here are my best tips on how you can stay positive with adult stressors in your life:

Focus on what you love to do

My first tip on how to stay positive with adult stressors is to figure out your passions and then learn about how to apply them to your daily life. If your passions are something that you can make a living off of, make it happen. For example, a blogger I know loved writing so much – it truly was/is a passion of hers. In middle school, she dreamt of being an author of fiction books and thrived during her creative writing class that she was enrolled in. But, along the way, she was told that it was important to get a practical degree. She tried her hand at nursing and decided she didn’t like it. She went back to school and got an education degree. Once again, she didn’t like it. That’s when she started her blog and now, she made writing her full-time career and loves every second of it.

Positive Energy

My point to that story is that we all need to figure out what we love and apply it to our everyday lives. We spend a huge portion of our day at work and if you are not in love with your career, you will get burnt out very, very quickly. Please take the time to figure out what you love and how you can make it a daily part of your life going forward. Even if that means spending an extra year in college just trying to figure out what you can do with your interests and the things you are good at, it will definitely be worth it, in my opinion.

Confidence = key

Confidence is absolutely essential when it comes to your happiness and positive mindset. Please know that you are beautiful just the way you are and if anyone has ever told you differently, they are way off track. While there are some things you can do to help increase your confidence levels such as exercising and eating healthy, dressing to impress, and keeping up with basic hygiene every single day, a lot of your confidence comes from your mental health. Mental health is something that is not talked about as often as it should be and it is so important. If you are struggling, please talk with someone. Prioritizing yourself and your happiness, reducing your stress, and surrounding yourself around great people are a few things that can help you keep your mental health strong, while also improving your confidence levels.

Lean on the village

We have all heard of the phrase, “it takes a village.” Typically, this is in reference to parenthood, but we can use this phrase throughout our lives, as well. A great example of this is if your car breaks down on the side of the road. If someone (a friend – probably not a stranger to be safe!)offers to help you, take them up on that. Another great example is finding a new home. While you should learn how to do things on your own as an adult, there are certain things that you should rely on professionals for, like moving. What parent had the time, energy, or honestly muscle to move an entire home on their own? Not me! In this case, you would want to use a local moving service, such as College Dudes Help U Move, as a good example. They do furniture moving in Charlotte, residential moving, commercial moving, packing, and more. They are a team of hard working, local individuals who truly understand the passion and commitment that it takes to execute a move. They are ready to go above and beyond to meet customers’ needs and expectations. As a busy mom, it’s important to use your village when you can…and sometimes that means hiring companies, babysitters, and more to be said village.

Don’t forget about hard work

Last but not least, we all know that hard work is something that cannot be forgotten about, or pushed to the side, but one thing to know? Hard work pays off – always. This is something that most of us should have learned in our childhood through school work and chores at home, but it is something that a lot of people do not prioritize during their adulthood. Hard work truly does pay off. You may feel like you are so overwhelmed and so stressed out at some points (especially when it comes to your career and/or schoolwork), but hang in there. If you stick it out, work hard, and show that you are committed, I promise that good things will come your way.

While there are so many other components to staying positive, reducing stress, and truly living your best life, these are just a few ways that you can go forth in the new year, with a great mindset. Do you have any other tips? I would love to hear them!