Struggling with Life's Problems? Professionals Recommend 'Creating Your Own Lemonade'

Struggling with life's challenges, huh? Instead of wallowing, try to see the bright side. Embrace the lemonade mentality, and you might just find yourself more resilient and happy overall-even during tough times.

Researchers from Frontiers in Psychology dug into this concept, studying the effects of playfulness during the COVID-19 pandemic. They divided participants into two groups: those with higher playfulness levels, dubbed the "lemonaders," and those with lower playfulness, or the less optimistic bunch.

The researchers found that despite the chaos, the lemonaders were more optimistic, better problem-solvers, and enjoyed life more. Yes, they still acknowledged the difficulties, but they also managed to think positively. It's all about maintaining "clear-eyed optimism," according to Xiangyou Shen, PhD, the lead study author, and assistant professor in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University.

Now, you might not be naturally a ray of sunshine, but mental health experts say it's possible to hack your brain to embrace more lemonade in your life. Here's what they want you to know:

Lemonading isn't just being positive Voltaire (maybe).

At its core, lemonading is about having a good attitude. But it's more than just trying to be upbeat-it's about being realistic yet optimistic, as Dr. Shen explains. Lemonaders don't buy into toxic positivity but still manage to be upbeat, even when life throws lemons at them.

Here's how to work lemonade into your life.

Change your perspective: Instead of assuming things will continue to be bad, try to look for the pros in a situation. "Ask yourself, 'Is there another way to look at this? What is the best, worst, and likely scenario?'" suggests Thea Gallagher, PsyD, clinical associate professor at NYU Langone Health and cohost of the Mind in View podcast.
Reframe your thoughts: Focus on what you can do about a problem, if anything. For example, "If you were laid off, but you haven't been happy in your job for months, what could be good about this?" Dr. Gallagher says. "You don't need to find the silver lining in everything, but sometimes looking at things through a different lens can make a big difference."
Play positive affirmations: Trying positive affirmations may help you feel more upbeat, but it's not for everyone. If you find them cheesy, try coming up with a mantra like, "I got this," instead. Use it before big moments to pump yourself up.
Talk to yourself like a coach: Talking to yourself like a coach can help boost your confidence. Say something like, "Hey [Your Name], you've got this!"
Laugh a little, even when things are tough: Finding humor in tough times can help shift your perspective and lighten the mood. Even black humor can be helpful, allowing you to acknowledge challenges while still laughing.
Experiment: Trying something new can help shift your perspective and produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps you feel pleasure. Take a new route to work or try a different coffee for a change.
Get out of your head: When you're feeling down, push yourself a little. Go to a party or chat with friends instead of binge-watching Netflix or focusing on negativity. Spending time with others may help lift your mood.
Maintain a schedule: Having a set routine can help lower stress but can also feel monotonous. Mix things up a bit to shake things up and practice flexible thinking.
Be present: Pay attention to your daily activities and focus on the moments of fun you have instead of dwelling on productivity. At the end of the day, swap productivity talk for moments of joy.
Practice: Developing a "lemonading" mindset takes time, so don't stress yourself out about being happier. The key is to develop the ability to imagine and pursue positive possibilities while maintaining realistic awareness of challenges.

Embrace the lemonade mentality, and life's challenges may seem a little more manageable. Who knows? You might even start to enjoy the ride.

After all, life's a bumpy road, and sometimes all we can do is make the best of the lemons we're given. Happy lemonading!

Related:

6 Bad Habits Therapists Are Begging You to Break for the Sake of Your Mental Health
How to Finally Kick That Grudge to the Curb
7 Ways to Stop Taking Things So Personally

Mental health experts suggest that cultivating a 'lemonade' mindset isn't merely about being positive, but rather about maintaining a realistic yet optimistic attitude towards life.
To incorporate lemonade into your life, try changing your perspective by looking for pros in challenging situations, reFraming negative thoughts, focusing on solutions rather than problems, using positive affirmations or mantras, talking to yourself as a coach, finding humor even in tough times, experimenting with new activities, getting out of your head, maintaining a schedule, being present in the moments of joy, practicing regularly, and not becoming overly stressed about becoming happier.
Besides these practices, it is also essential to prioritize nutrition, health, and mental health and incorporate health-and-wellness and mental-health routines into your daily life for overall well-being during tough times.