I like to pride myself on being an optimist. Truly, to my core, I think it’s one of my best characteristics (and I don’t mean that to be braggy or anything). I just choose to believe that even in the hardest of circumstances, something good must come from it, even if that means learning a tough lesson.

My dad gave me this advice years ago and it’s just always stuck with me, if he ever has a bad day he thinks to himself “if that’s the worst thing that happened to me today, thats a pretty good day.” To me, I’ve always interpreted that to mean, don’t sweat the small stuff because bigger picture, as long as my family is healthy, that’s all that matters, and I know it’s cliche to say, but someone out there always has it harder than you– which always puts things in perspective for me.

These are some things that also help me stay optimistic, even in the most stressful of circumstances.

+ Center yourself & step away for a moment // if I feel like I can’t handle everything on my plate, I try to really center myself on what is really important verse what I’m just being extra about. And if I really need a “break” I’ll take a moment to remove myself from any negativity and just do or think about something else- usually that comes in the form of mindless scrolling on Instagram to get my mind off things.

+ Play music // It always helps to play some uplifting music and music that makes you happy. A Disney movie soundtrack or anything Keith Urban is always a hit with me!

+ Exercise // Truly, there’s nothing that clears my mind like a good workout!

+ Focus on a memory that made you truly happy // I usually scroll through old videos of Avery on my phone anytime I’m feeling super stressed out and that usually brings me back down to earth. As long as I know I’m taking care of her, everything else instantly feels smaller.

That’s really all I’ve got. I’d love to hear some of your tips for staying positive! Lmk in the comments!