We all find ourselves in a funk sometimes. Work is hard, people hurt us and life can generally deplete us. But staying in a negative mindset can be really unhealthy, and today I give you three tips that you can use to help you feel better and lift yourself out of a difficult moment. I also get really personal and share a situation of my own where I needed to shift my perspective and gain control of my mind again.

When we encounter a situation where someone or something is against us, we’re often right to feel upset, offended or disrespected. We can probably find people to side with us and validate our feelings, too. However, holding on to anger and harbouring toxic energy absolutely does not serve us in the end. I talk about how changing your perspective and looking through a lens of empathy is vital in turning things around.

I run through some steps that I’ve taken to successfully quiet my mind in times of stress:

• Allowing yourself quiet time to elevate your thinking and reflect objectively on the situation
• Moving into a place of forgiveness, which helps release you from an unhealthy mindset and ultimately serves you better
• Taking action you are proud of as the leader you know yourself to be

There is so much anger in the world right now, and if more people can role model the way forward with forgiveness and being a true leader of self, we’ll have a much better world.

We can’t always control situations or other people, but we can choose how we react. It’s what we choose to do when challenges arise that really matters.

What are your values? What do you stand for? What do you stand against? Ask yourself if you’re handling your situation in a way that reflects who you are as a leader.

No one is perfect, but we can strive to be the best version of ourselves as leaders in a world that needs us.