Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens…

We all have grown up singing Maria’s iconic, feel-good, song, “My Favorite Things.” In the scene in which this song appears, the scared Von Trapp children seek shelter in Maria’s room during a storm. Realizing that their fears are constantly renewed each time the thunder and lightning strike, Maria decides to focus the children’s attention on the small, simple things in life that make them happy. After singing about these cheerful things, the children and Maria don’t “feel so bad.”

And Maria has got it all figured out.

After reflecting for a long time on myself and how I handle different situations, I found that I have a very anxious personality, which causes me a lot of unwarranted stress in many areas of my life. While a little stress is okay and completely normal, a lot of stress can be overwhelming and hindering. Ever since I was young, I’ve been told that stress a key motivator in getting things done, but that idea does not apply to everyone, and it certainly does not apply to me.

Stress clouds the way I see my life. It causes me to take less risks, to rush through my work, and simply live life from one thing on my task list to the next. After some inner reflection, I know that I will be living with a lot of regret in the future if I look up one day and feel that, though I’ve been alive, I haven’t been really living.
This conclusion was the first step towards a mentally healthy way of working through stress and anxiety and enjoying life. But it is impossible to one day just decide not to get overly stressed about things. Not a Sunday goes by where I don’t get anxious about the coming school day, and not a school day passes where I am not obsessively planning out and trying desperately to get ahead in my work, many times causing me to have a complete mental breakdown. It happens to all of us.

Back to Maria.

The song, “My Favorite Things,” came on shuffle one day on my way to school. It made me start thinking about some of the little things, big things, exciting things, and happy things that I enjoyed in my own life.
So I started making some mental lists…

50 of My Favorite Things:
The Smell of Fall
Hand-Written Letters
Hot Chocolate at my Grandma’s House
The Music I Fall Asleep To
Phone Calls
Big Hugs
Kisses on the Cheek
Christmas (let’s be real, we’ve all got this one)
My Playlist of my Favorite Songs
Little Babies
The Gardens
Disney Songs
Dresses
Friday Night Games
Cheer Practice
Family Dinners
Apple-Chicken Sausage
Gas Station Runs
Cute Pictures
Receiving Flowers
Giving Creative Presents
Dances that give me Chills
Singing in the Car
Harry Potter and The Hunger Games
Going to the Theater during a Storm
Coaching the Middle School Cheerleaders
Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets
Beatty Park
Birthdays
Stuffed Animals
Balloons (especially red and yellow)
Traveling to Competitions
Car Rides
Holding Hands
Snow
Good Hair Days
Looking Through Old Pictures
Sweet Little Notes
Ice-Skating Uptown
My Mini Christmas Tree
Chess
Dreaming about my Wedding Day
Running Errands with my Mom
Pretty Book Covers
The Smell of Barnes and Noble
My Grandma’s House
Dusk
Swinging
Cool, Sunny Days
Being in Love

After writing down those 50 things, I took a break  from writing to eat dinner and clean my room. I started noticing that more and more of my “favorite things” continued popping into my head. The same thing happens to me every time I do this exercise when I am feeling anxious or stressed. When I focus my mind on the things in life that I am excited for or that make me happy, the stress and anxiety that clouded my head before, diminishes, and my outlook on life naturally becomes more positive and upbeat.

***

Here is your challenge:

When you start to feel overwhelmed by everything negative in your life, start by thinking of the things you are excited about. Christmas is always my starting place (I may or may not listen to Christmas music in the middle of summer). That is a long-term excitement. Next I think about something I’m excited for this month. For me, it is the NC State cheer clinic next week. Then, something this week; the football game on tomorrow, and then something for today; taking a hot shower. After I get the excitement rolling, I start getting excited that I have a lot more Christmases in my future and I get to take a hot shower every night. Life is good!

Some people also find that reflecting on the positives of the day help them have a positive outlook on the days to come. My lunch was good, I had a good hair day, and I got to eat pasta for dinner, are a few of mine from today.
Next, make a list, either mentally or on paper, of a few of your favorite things, like I did up above. Keeping a written list of these things and carrying it with you throughout the day can serve as a reminder that your life is exciting and enjoyable.

Another thing I like to do is carry a few small things that mean something to you. When you look at them, they should remind you of all the good memories you have and all the new memories you are going to make. It can be pictures of your baby cousin, a note your mom put in your lunchbox on the first day of school, a rock from when you hiked Crowders mountain, a phone wallpaper of your happy place, or even a box of tic tacs. Whatever you choose to carry, that visual reminder will help you see life for all the good times, rather than those of stress and anxiety.

***

Here is your positivity tool set:

Find things you are excited about (long-term and short-term)
Reflect on the positives from each day
Make a list of a few of your favorite things
Carry with you visual reminders of happy memories

Changing a stress-ridden mindset is a tough skill to develop. I having been working on this skill for years and I still don’t have it totally mastered. It takes a lot of hard work to push that negativity out of your mind, but after making these exercises above habit, having a positive outlook on life will become your head’s natural default.
So when the dog bites, when the bee stings, or when you’re feeling sad, simply remember your favorite things, and then you won’t feeeeeeeel sooooo baaaaaaad! :)