Six Ways to Stay Positive Even When It Seems Impossible

This week has been a tough one for me. I lost a family member and have spent most of the week driving and attending a funeral. As the week progressed, I became more and more negative as I thought about death and life, and that's when I had to stop and remind myself that being negative won't bring anyone back. It won't fix anything, and it definitely won't help you move on. It's important to stay positive, even when it seems like there's no possible way to do it.

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Here are six things that I do to stay positive. They may or may not work for you, but it's a good idea to find out what does and to write them down for reference for the next time you start to feel blue.

1. Be thankful for what you are fortunate enough to have. Chances are that someone in the world is dreaming of being so lucky.
2. Smile. Either think of something funny or fake it. Simply smiling can help change your mood.
3. Make a list of good things that have happened in the past few days. And before you say that nothing good has happened....
4. Remember that every thing that isn't a bad thing can probably be considered a good thing. Even if it's a small thing, it still counts. 
5. Talk to someone. A lot of the time, talking to someone about what's bothering you is a good way to get it off your mind so that you can focus on more important (and hopefully positive) things!
6. Work out. I'll be the first to admit that working out is the worst, but when I finally get off my butt and do it, I feel so much better afterwards. Once your blood gets flowing, it seems like it pushes all of the negativity right out of you. 

Do you have any other tips? How do you keep your chin up when times are tough?