Help with negative thoughts about NYE and the year to come...

Hello everyone, if like me you find yourself needing to work through negative thoughts about the New Year etc I thought we could help each other out.

Here's an example from my recent thoughts:

Something tragic happened to me in 2018, what if another tragedy happens in 2019?

I flip this thought to: I made it through that tragedy as best I could. I am brave and strong when I need to be. I will make it through whatever I need to in 2019. Some good things also happened in 2018 so I'm hopeful for more goodness in 2019!

Please share a negative thought you flipped to something positive or ask others on the thread to help you flip it.
You could also share something you are hoping for in 2019.

I believe we can help each other to feel more hopeful for the new year.

I often feel I am never going to lose this weight so I should just give up and accept where I am...

but then I think, no, never give up. I might be right around the corner from the key.

We all know that the key to success for the most successful is being persistent.

Great thought-flipping Emily! With weight loss, I think it's important to determine whether it's a medical concern or a self-esteem concern. Research indicates that when trying to lose weight, people are much more successful when they come from a healthy place of: "I want to respect and honor my body...to live my healthiest life" as opposed to self-criticism/body-shaming or feeling badly due to unrealistic images of beauty etc.

Best wishes to you on your journey for your healthiest body

It is a medical. Though mostly for my life medical refuse to accept that it is medical - or have any solution for it. I am trying a new way of dieting and medical marijuana to lose weight.

Just thought I should clarify my prior comment for anyone else who may be reading and struggling with weight loss...by medical issue vs self-esteem concern, I meant: are you medically overweight (or underweight for that matter) and at risk for related health problems or are you a medically healthy weight and struggling with a self-perception of feeling "ugly" or "fat" etc because those are two quite different problems imo.

Either way, I wish you well Emily and all the other folks dealing with weight issues of one form or another

I currently don't have any medical issues but as I am sure you know... as you age that puts you at risk for them. So that is the main desire to avoid issues such as "knee problems".

I'm sure a lot of folks can relate to this particularly during the holiday season when there is a lot of emphasis on food.

I'm also dealing with a weight problem. It all began with a mefication the psych doctor gave me . it was known for making people gain weight . I gained so much weight in the past 5 years . the other day my mum called me a fat c word .
I recently bought several exercise DVDs . I've been trying them out with my daughter . I plan to exercise everyday in 2019 or at least wherever possible . I'm taking it slow though , just doing what I can manage . then I want to do a low carb diet along side it . it will help my self asteem but I'm doing it for health reasons also .

Hello CryingontheInside. Your mother's comment was horrible and verbally abusive. That is a reflection of her character not of your body. Are you able to have distance from her?

Here's some thought-flipping for you:

My body is just as valuable now as it was 5 years ago. My body has been with me day and night keeping me alive through all my struggles and I am grateful for that. It is not my body's fault that I gained weight from medication...my body was responding in the way it knew how to do and that is okay. Slowing losing some weight could be good for my health. But my self-esteem is separate...my self-worth is intrinsic and unrelated to the # on the scales therefore I love myself every day regardless of my size/weight.

What you wrote is amazing . I wish I could install that into my mind and really believe that of myself

You read what I wrote, you called it amazing, and you are hoping that you will have better thoughts about yourself in the future...so you are ALREADY on the right track! Well done you! I've been working on negative thought-flipping for years. It's a skill that takes practice...and it can be done. You started today...keep going...you'll have your ups and downs...we all do and that's part of it....then one day you could look back and think: WOW! it's getting easier to flip those negatives than when I started. May it happen for you!

Research-based strategy: you don't have to believe it...say good things to yourself anyway every single day and you will start to believe them! Your brain is a wonderful organ...it will listen to you in time

I never liked NYE evening because of noise from the outside. I wonder what it's all for. And then that dreaded midnight when firecrackers, small fireworks in the neighborhood that's illegal and noises go off. So hard to get back to sleep.

I hope that '19 will be a good year. It was a pretty good year this year. Sometimes I get scared when a good year is coming to an end because the following year may not be so good. Let's not forget that there are 365 days in a year, so there's bound to be some good days and not so good days.

The biggest highlights for the year were:

Bad - in early May I had an unexpected water leak at my place that was inconvenient, stressful, and costly. It effected my downstairs neighbors terribly. Ironically, some good things came out of it as my bathroom got a slight remodel and my two downstairs neighbors and I got back to being friendly with each other after not speaking for a year.

Good - In early October I took a trip to Washington State. Never been there before. Everything went well and had a great time. Except that I let my early morning anxieties ruin it a bit. I had posted about my vacation on here back in early October. Also good was that I had my mortgage all paid off early in the year.

For 2019 I hope to sell my place and move into a better place.

Thanks for this.

I’d like more stability and less depression and anxiety in 2019. I don’t want a repeat of 2018. Not sure how to flip that.

How about....

I had plenty of ups and downs in 2018 so seeking more stability is a top goal for me in 2019. I cannot control what comes my way in 2019, nobody can, but my power is in how I respond to what comes. I will respond to 2019 in ways which optimize my personal stability. I will be patient, gentle, and loving with myself. When I feel anxious or unstable I will go to my personal checklist of things which bring me peace and comfort. My anxious or depressed times are a nudge from the Universe to seek out more peace and quiet in order to get back to inner harmony. My downs remind me of how glorious and precious my ups are! Without downs, there can be no ups. With joy, so too comes sorrow. These are natural contrasts of the human condition. I am intrinsically valuable and powerful no matter what...throughout all of my ups and downs. 2019 will be more balanced for me than 2018 because every year I grow stronger and wiser and I have decided it will be so."

Usually, I am hopeful for a new year. This year, not so much, maybe because I got tired of saying "This year will be MY year, the year I get something done!" I've said that the past few years and the fact that nothing got done, whether it was because of me or something out of my control, it's got me down this year.

On the positive side, I do have a plan this year. I have goals that I could reach with the support of friends and family. That's about it, I don't have much hope, though. I may have a little bit, just not as much as I usually do.

Thank you for sharing MissDenim and what a great profile name! I picture you with your own denim clothing line...constantly on TV being interviewed about how you made YOUR denim the "must have" denim of the season

You say you have a "little bit of hope." I believe that a little bit of hope can take us a very, very long way. Hope is such a powerful medium that even a drop or two can change futures, resolve conflicts, improve health, and lead us to exactly where we want to be in life. May it happen for you Miss Denim!

If you feel comfortable sharing what would make 2019 feel like YOUR year, go ahead and put it out there on the thread and into the Universe. Maybe something amazing will happen?!

Does anyone out there have a hopeful thought or song for Miss Denim or anyone else feeling like their hope may be wavering a little bit this year?

Always remember that a sense of connection is a powerful antidote to uncertainty, loss, or despair.

There are no right or wrong answers here. We are all in this crazy gig we call Life together

Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today
To get through this thing called life....

Thank you!

Yeah, I guess you are right. A little bit of hope can go a long way. I'm not sure I'm ready to put my goals out on a public forum yet, therefore out into the universe. I will share it with a few people though.

Happy New Year!