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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wilfrid Laurier chapter.

Sometimes, things in life just don’t seem to be going our way. Either we just don’t feel great overall, or school is on our back, our relationships don’t seem to be doing that well and work seems to be getting the best of us. It just seems to be a chain reaction; once one thing goes wrong, so does everything else. The important question is how do we get out of this slump? To put it simply, it all starts with us. The law of attraction is based on the belief that thoughts bring positive or negative experiences into a person’s life. Considering this, the whole “chain reaction” phenomena starts to make more sense. Now, another very important question: how do we change our thoughts? I know we can’t just change our mood instantly because we want to. It’s so easy just to dwell in our current state, but once we start noticing little things about our thought patterns, we’ll be more conscious of the energy we’re emitting.

Speaking from personal experience, I was noticing that a lot of the time, I had a pattern of negative thoughts. Whether it was being down on myself for not putting enough effort into schoolwork or just looking at the negative side of every situation, I was in a slump and kept myself there. Catching yourself with thoughts like these is the first step to fixing them. When you find yourself thinking a negative thought, stop yourself and reframe it. For example, you may catch yourself thinking, “This assignment is too hard, and it’s going to be impossible to finish.” You know other than not doing it, the only choice you have is to finish it. You could try reframing the thought in this way: “This seems challenging, but it’s something I have to do, and I know that I can do it.” Speaking these words of affirmation to yourself will start to slowly but surely adjust your frame of mind so that positive thoughts like this will start to become a reflex.

Just as the energy you emit is important, the energy that you surround yourself with is vital, as well. No matter how hard you try to stay positive and think clearly, people around you with negative energy will inevitably act as a drain on your happiness. In order to prevent this from affecting you, you should distance yourself from these people. Conversely, surround yourself with people you admire, who are positive and who have a good impact on you. I’m sure you’ve noticed how dramatically your mood can improve when you’re around someone who has genuinely good energy. Why not help each other out by being positive influences on each other’s lives? Although some people may seem fun to be around, you have to make sure they’re not pulling you down into their negative and draining thought habits.

Lastly, focus on aspects of your life that you’re grateful for, and don’t forget to be compassionate towards others. A lot of the time we can act hypocritically. For example, we may not like the way some people treat us, so then we proceed to treat others similarly without even noticing it. This kind of cycle is what invites negative treatment into your life. Being able to realize that you may not be treating others greatly and doing something to change that will dimmish the negative energy that affects you. Additionally, try finding aspects of your life that you’re thankful for will help you to realize that you aren’t in as bad of a situation as you might think. This will only increase your awareness of the good things you have going for you and will give you more encouragement and passion in your everyday life.

Don’t forget, if you don’t like the position you’re in and find yourself unhappy, only you have the power to change that. Make it a point to become aware of and stop negative cycles in your life. This shift won’t happen overnight, but slowly, you’ll definitely become more aware of yourself and the little changes will make you an overall happier person.

Tamara Jefak

Wilfrid Laurier '22

Tamara is in her third year at Wilfrid Laurier University and is pursuing a double major in English and Communication Studies. Alongside writing, she enjoys traveling, sparkling water, and dancing in the kitchen while cooking with her roommates.
Chelsea Bradley

Wilfrid Laurier '21

Chelsea finished her undergrad with a double major in Biology and Psychology and a minor in Criminology. She loves dogs way too much and has an unhealthy obsession with notebooks and sushi. You can find her quoting memes and listening to throwbacks in her spare - okay basically all - her time. She joined Her Campus in the Fall of 2019 as an editor, acted as one of two senior editors for the Winter 2020 semester and worked alongside Rebecca as one of the Campus Correspondents for the 2020-2021 year!