Are you feeling down?  Widows that are thankful and appreciative have the key to living a happier life.  Since “like attracts like”, this is a great way to attract more situations and experiences to feel thankful for. So, just how can you change when you’re feeling down?  All of us widows have been there at one time or another and will probably be there again.  We have lost our husbands, so of course we have had times when we just did not feel very thankful.  I know I have.  So what do we do then? The fastest and most effective way to change how you’re feeling is to get out of your own head.  Get out and do something for someone else and take a break from your own problems and concerns.

• List everything that is good in your life. Be sure to list every little thing, the more the better.
• Do something luxurious for yourself. Take what you can afford and splurge on something nice.
• Refuse to take part in gossip. If you want to be more at peace, choose not to join in.

If you want to stress proof your thinking you have to become aware of how your everyday thoughts and beliefs can impact your life. The second thing to do is to learn how to “challenge” the way you think.  When you find yourself with unhelpful thoughts ask yourself the following questions:

• Who says that it’s true?
• Is there evidence to support this thought?
• Is there a more positive way to think about this?

To stop a thought that keeps going around and around your mind, occupy your mind with a mental activity that requires complete concentration.

• Repeat the times table
• Count backwards from 200 in twos
• Try to think of a girl’s name for every letter of the alphabet
• If a passenger in a vehicle, see if you can make a word out of all the letters on licence plates of cars around you.