3 Ways to Tap Into Your Positivity Playlist

Negative media can change the way we perceive ourselves and life itself. Sometimes we don’t realize that we are consuming negative media until we start feeling the after-effects. Due to this, we may feel groggy, have self-doubt, be unmotivated, and develop a pessimistic and cynical view of the world. I too, have felt this way. Consuming constant negative media has brought me down and left me feeling alone and powerless. However, we can change this through simply analyzing our media usage. Here are my 3 ways to tap into your positivity playlist.

1. Take Breaks from Social Media

Social media has been a huge concern in this area. I have noticed that several posts on my personal Facebook alone discusses mostly politics, world tragedies and displays an overall tone of toxicity; cyber bullying and unkind comments.

It’s essential that we stay informed of worldly issues but we must realize that consuming nothing but news and politics is too much for one person; these things weigh heavily on our minds and hearts. We need to take these issues in sips; not gulps. Taking a break from social media is a great start! It allows us to put more time in other areas of our life that we would have spent on social media. After your break, I suggest limiting your social media usage and finding more uplifting pages to visit.

1. Television and Youtube

Have you ever noticed that when you watch a horror film, those feelings of terror still resonate with you for some time after you’ve watched it? It’s no different than when we consume shows and videos that have a general melancholy or negative sentiment to it. Personally, if I binge too many episodes of the Vampire Diaries or Stranger Things in one sitting, I feel increasingly melancholy. I am the type of person that grows attachment to characters and has empathy for them.

Instead of binge-watching shows that have a sad tone, look for shows that make you laugh or inspire you. This can include Disney movies, comedies, inspirational podcasts, religious podcasts, DIY videos or even documentaries. This doesn’t mean you have to stop watching your crime shows, it just means that you should watch them in smaller segments.

1. Music

Music has always spoken to me and it often changes my mood from melancholy to motivated. As of recently, I habitually play inspiring music whenever I feel self-doubt. Currently, my favorite inspirational song is What You're Made Of by Lindsey Stirling. I have a tendency to doubt myself easily even though I have exceeded limits far beyond what others thought I could. Whenever I start to enter into the negativity rabbit hole, I tell myself, “these thoughts are not true and I will not listen to them anymore.”

With this, I pull out my phone and listen to this song. The distraction itself helps and the message transforms my mood immensely! I implore you to find songs that make you feel good about yourself as well as inspired. Listen to music that gets you on your feet dancing; shaking away the blues.

I challenge you, my friends, to consume nothing but positive media for the next seven days. I truly believe that this action alone is a game-changer for our mental health and behavior. I have tried this myself and it has inspired me to start this blog and work harder on my passion projects. When we change the way we view the world, we change our behaviors!