How to Stay Positive While Living With Sickle Cell

Telling someone to stay positive is one of the vaguest pieces of advice you can give to someone living with sickle cell.

What does it mean to "stay positive"?

Sometimes, I wonder what staying positive really means. However, here's what I think about staying positive.

It isn't something you have to do every minute. You don't have to be positive every second of the day. Let's face it, you are human, and you have feelings. Don't push your feelings aside; instead, acknowledge and let them come peacefully.

This means some days you will feel sad, and some days, your positive attitude will radiate through you and spread across the room. The important thing is not to let your current circumstances turn you into a total pessimist who doesn't see any good in their life.

I remember when I was just diagnosed with avascular necrosis, it was difficult staying positive every day. Nothing made sense to me then.

At the end of the day, I didn't let that get the best of me. If you have ever wondered how to stay positive in hard times, here are a few more tips.

7 ways to stay positive

Practice gratitude

Practicing gratitude helps you shift your mind from what you don't have to what you are blessed with. I recently started writing a gratitude journal, and I think it is the best decision I’ve made recently.

Writing about the things you’re grateful for in your life will help you stay positive and hopeful for the future.

You can keep a handwritten journal or download a gratitude app on your phone. Many free apps will not only remind you to write something down but also guide you through what you can write about.

Besides a gratitude journal, you can also keep an ordinary journal where you write your thoughts and feelings. I find that sometimes writing it out helps you see that it is not the end and feel hopeful.

Have support

Let's face it, life with sickle cell is difficult. That's the truth.

However, having support can make it easier. Having people who understand you and do not judge you when you talk to them is a blessing. It's not only a blessing, but it can also help you stay positive when things get hard.

Daily affirmations

Affirmation is a statement that is declared and believed to be true. Affirmations are a great way to remind yourself that you are more than sickle cell disorder.

You can create your own affirmation to stay positive or look for inspiration online or in an app.

Here are some affirmations I use daily

• I am in charge of how I feel today, and I choose happiness
• Every day in every way I get better and better
• I will not compare myself to strangers on the internet
• I give myself space to grow and learn
• I'm in control of how I react to others

Be mindful of your thoughts

I have read quite a few self-help and personal development books, and one thing I learned is that we control our minds and thoughts. Unfortunately, we sometimes let our thoughts control us and take us to dark places.

By practicing mindfulness, you can control your thoughts. Meditation is a very helpful way to practice mindfulness. When you are mindful of your thoughts, you can bring yourself back when your thoughts get negative.

Remind yourself that you are not alone

This also has a lot to do with mindfulness and affirming words. Tell yourself randomly that you are not alone. You're not alone, so don't give up. Continue doing your best and staying positive.

Pick your friends; be around people that make you feel good. The people around us have the greatest influence. That is why you need to make sure your circle is filled with people who lift your soul and influence you to greatness. Pay attention to the people you spend most of your time with because they can affect your mood.

Be around people who make you feel your best, not friends who remind you how difficult life is. Like we all say, positive vibes only.

Have a dream or purpose in life

Your purpose for life can bring you joy and happiness, so make sure you have dreams or goals that you want to achieve. Your dreams can give you the strength to keep pushing and staying positive. Yes, it can!

Write down what you want to achieve, make plans, and work toward it every day. Having a vision board or mood board can help you get through hard times.

Seek professional help

Feeling down once in a while is okay, but when it becomes something that affects your daily life, and you are getting so negative that you sometimes have suicidal thoughts, then you need to get help.

Talk to professional counselors or coaches. Let them guide you out of the darkness.