Strange. Unprecedented. Tumultuous. These words, among others, have become familiar descriptors of the times in which we are living.

The COVID-19 pandemic has wrought havoc on life as we know it, and with that has come an overwhelming collection of negativity. Although the damage that COVID-19 has done cannot be minimized, it makes it all the more important to remain positive amidst the uncertainty.

The COVID-19 pandemic is challenging us in ways we could never have predicted, from unprecedented amounts of family time to home-schooling to working remotely — or not working at all. These sudden, rapid changes in the way we live, coupled with uncertainty, can feel overwhelming, so if you’re feeling afraid, you’re not alone. Despite all of this, keeping a positive mind-set can go a long way in navigating through this difficult time.

It is therefore imperative that we understand “What is Positivity?”

Positivity means thinking in an optimistic way, looking for solutions, expecting good results and success, and focusing and making life happier. It is a happy and worry-free state of mind, which looks at the bright side of life.

• Positivity means a positive frame of mind. With this frame of mind.
• You do not take things too personally.
• You enjoy the present moment.
• You focus on doing and achieving, not on thinking about the difficulties.
• It means a state of being happy, tolerant and good-natured.

The emotions associated with positivity are joy, love and inspiration. A person possessing this state of mind chooses constructive and good feelings and emotions, and tries to avoid the negative and unhappy feelings. This might not be easy at first, but with a little training, it becomes possible.

Being positive does not mean ignoring difficulties and bad experiences. It means acknowledging them, learning from them, doing better, and using the knowledge gained to improve.

With this state of mind, though you might experience negative emotions and go through unpleasant experiences, you will not lose your spirit or give up.

It is important that you strive to experience more positive than negative thoughts and emotions. The ratio should be in favour of positivity, not negativity.

Life is such that we often hear negative stories and negative news. If we let them seep into our conscious and subconscious mind, we are allowing negativity to rule our life. Negative thoughts and emotions are contagious. We have to resist them and stay away from them.

We need to make efforts to increase positivity in our life, in order to counteract negativity. A little more optimism, love, and happy thoughts, will go a long way. Do something useful each day, to improve your life and the lives of other people. All this, will contribute to a steady growth of positivity in our life.

As it is famously said, “The Pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity, while the Optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.”