CULTIVATING POSITIVE EMOTIONS DURING COVID-19

Do you know that apart from fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, and sore throat, COVID-19 also causes emotional distress? I’m sure you know that already. (Sadly, even without COVID-19, one in four people in the world will be affected by a mental or neurological disorder at some point in their lives.) When we experience emotional distress, we feel overwhelmed with negative emotions — sadness, anger, fear, stress, anxiety, among others. This is to be expected, especially during times of pandemic. This is due to the fact that positive emotions are easily felt when one is safe, and far from harm — which is the exact opposite of where we are right now.

But don’t worry. Not even COVID-19 can remove our capability to feel positive emotions. And with or without the pandemic, there are “seeds” that we can plant and cultivate to achieve feelings of positivity.

Sense of fulfillment. Setting goals, regardless if it is big or small, and ultimately achieving them allows us to feel a sense of fulfillment. This feeling gives us a “rush”, self-confidence, and willpower to push through with the adversities that lie ahead of us.

Cheerfulness. Being cheerful means relishing the happy moments, while accepting that it is okay to feel sad sometimes. This also means living life in a state of joy, this is your birthright and by doing so you will be also raising your vibration and the vibration of the people around you.

Gratitude. Gratitude is a superpower that can shift our doubts and insecurities, into things that we have and enjoy. It helps us change our perspective on how we see the world. It allows us to cultivate and magnify our positive emotions and even helps undo the lingering effects of negative feelings.

But why do we need to cultivate these emotional seeds? What are the benefits of positive emotions?

Sharpens attention and focus. Positive emotions affect our brains by increasing our awareness, memory, and attention. Hence, we are able to learn more and improve our skills. Moreover, we build on our capability to understand how different ideas relate to each other, which improves our creative thinking skills and widens our scope of cognition.

Better relationships. Happy moms build up a “supply of positive emotions” which acts as a shield against conflict and negativity.

Resilience to negative emotions. Positive emotions override the negative ones and help people manage stress, anxiety, and loneliness effectively.

Always remember, positive emotions build on themselves. So start planting these emotional seeds in your garden to enjoy its abundance, especially during these trying times.