50 Reassuring Facts Not Everyone Might Be Aware Of, According To People Online

According to this year’s Ipsos Global Happiness report, people worldwide are happier now than during the pandemic, though not as much as they were a decade ago. Around 71% of respondents across 30 countries describe themselves as happy—an improvement from 63% in 2020 but still short of the 77% recorded in 2011.

While these numbers might not seem too bleak, they’re a reminder that close to a third of the planet is unfulfilled with their lives. So much of what affects how we feel is beyond our control—circumstances, setbacks, or challenges we didn’t see coming—and staying optimistic can be hard in the face of it all.

To learn how we can nurture a brighter mindset, Bored Panda spoke with Tracy Bevan, a specialist in transformative positive psychology and founder of Positive Being Coaching.

Bevan shared that one practice that can make a big difference is reflection. “Reflecting on your life, how it is going and your role in it is crucial to wellbeing,” she explains. “It allows you to build a sense of agency. Agency is the feeling you are able to achieve the things you want to in life.”

“Without this reflection, life can feel like something that is happening to us. Instead, be an active participant!”

While we can’t prevent bad things from happening, Bevan notes that finding meaning in tough experiences can help us recover and even grow stronger. “The people who recover sooner or even come back stronger are the ones who can find meaning in what has happened—to find a purpose in random life events—and then use this to carry them forward,” she says.

What we can control, however, are our daily habits. Bevan points out that small, consistent actions can set us on a path toward more positive thinking.

“The ABC of wellbeing are sleep, food (and water), movement, and breathing,” Bevan says. “Dull but true. Building regular routines around these generates a sense of agency. They are little daily activities that we can (in most situations) control.”

She shares her personal experience: “I started walking every morning during Covid, and it changed how I view myself and my capacity to achieve the things I want to. It has been the foundation from which my confidence and mental and physical health has blossomed.”

“Add to this the taking time to reflect I spoke about earlier. This could be in the form of journaling, a gratitude diary, or any other way you choose to pause and acknowledge the day,” Bevan suggests. “Think about what you brought to it by being present, by being you, and savor that feeling.”

At the same time, Bevan advises against forcing yourself into habits that don’t resonate with you. “Don’t try to keep a gratitude journal if it leaves you cold. Harness your individual strengths instead. One of my key strengths is playfulness, so I keep a ‘funny things’ journal instead—the silly things that make me giggle through the week,” she explains.

Being optimistic doesn’t mean you need to feel overjoyed every second of the day. Instead, it’s about finding balance and not letting difficult emotions overwhelm you.

“All emotions are important,” Bevan says. “Who ever said we should be happy all the time? That’s not going to happen. Trying to ignore or downplay difficult feelings like sadness, anger, grief, or frustration will only lead to problems further down the line.”

She encourages embracing your emotions fully. “The more you do, the more you will notice and relish the positive things when they do come along,” Bevan notes. “Optimism and hope are the routes back out of the hard times. Don’t force them, but remember that nothing stays the same forever, and the bad times will pass too.”

Finally, Bevan reminds us of the importance of connection: “If you have been stuck in one difficult emotion for a while, please find someone to talk to. Things are always more manageable when they are spoken about.”