You don’t need me to tell you that life can be tough—it’s a truth as old as time. But just because it’s a cliché doesn’t make it any less real. That’s exactly why getting through the struggles, tackling the curveballs, and holding onto a glass-half-full perspective can feel like such a monumental task.
Even the hardest days, however, can be made a little easier with some uplifting thoughts.
This wholesome Reddit thread is here to do just that: offer a collection of reassuring facts to bring you some comfort. Scroll down to soak it all in, and don’t miss our chat with Tracy Bevan, a specialist in transformative positive psychology, for tips on maintaining an optimistic mindset.
#1
A cats purr released oxytocin and has a naturally calming effect.
Image credits: Didntlikedefaultname
#2
You cannot save everyone. But the small kindnesses you share can dramatically affect the people around you, even if they feel insignificant to you.
Shout out to the guy at the supermarket the other day who patted me on the shoulder and said, "You're going to be ok." He had no way of knowing that I suffer from chronic depression, and that I'm in a dark place at the moment. He just thought I looked sad or empty or whatever and took a moment to remind me that it's ok to be human. It was nothing to him, but in that moment it was everything for me.
Image credits: booktrovert
#3
Actions have consequences, which seems usually to refer to negative things when people say it, but if actions have consequences, then positive actions can have positive consequences.
This was a big realization for me to find hope and motivation in the depths of depression.
Image credits: pickins_mighty_slim
According to this year’s Ipsos Global Happiness report, people worldwide are happier now than during the pandemic, though not as much as they were a decade ago. Around 71% of respondents across 30 countries describe themselves as happy—an improvement from 63% in 2020 but still short of the 77% recorded in 2011.
While these numbers might not seem too bleak, they’re a reminder that close to a third of the planet is unfulfilled with their lives. So much of what affects how we feel is beyond our control—circumstances, setbacks, or challenges we didn’t see coming—and staying optimistic can be hard in the face of it all.
To learn how we can nurture a brighter mindset, Bored Panda spoke with Tracy Bevan, a specialist in transformative positive psychology and founder of Positive Being Coaching.
Bevan shared that one practice that can make a big difference is reflection. “Reflecting on your life, how it is going and your role in it is crucial to wellbeing,” she explains. “It allows you to build a sense of agency. Agency is the feeling you are able to achieve the things you want to in life.”
“Without this reflection, life can feel like something that is happening to us. Instead, be an active participant!”
#4
Elephants' brains react the same way looking at us, as ours do when we see puppies. They think we're cute.
Image credits: weirwoodheart
#5
You never feel like a grown up. You mostly just fake it and assume everyone else are actual adults. My data is only valid from ages 0-46 years of age.
Crazy_Raven_Lady:
Yep 44 here and I don’t feel like an adult. I always get nervous to meet my kids friends parents cause I figure they are real adults and they’ll be onto me.
davisolzoe:
I feel like a teenager working on projects on the garage, I’m 66.
Image credits: Stonksetshares
#6
Nobody is really looking or watching or even cares what you are doing out in public. The vast majority of the people that you see are so busy taking care of their own business that whatever they saw of you was forgotten in a few of minutes at most. I know that I have no recollection of most people I see in public after I leave the venue (supermarket, home depot, etc.) Except for the woman in dirty pajamas at Walmart spraying Febreeze on herself in the big aisle.
Image credits: Baboon_Stew
While we can’t prevent bad things from happening, Bevan notes that finding meaning in tough experiences can help us recover and even grow stronger. “The people who recover sooner or even come back stronger are the ones who can find meaning in what has happened—to find a purpose in random life events—and then use this to carry them forward,” she says.
What we can control, however, are our daily habits. Bevan points out that small, consistent actions can set us on a path toward more positive thinking.
“The ABC of wellbeing are sleep, food (and water), movement, and breathing,” Bevan says. “Dull but true. Building regular routines around these generates a sense of agency. They are little daily activities that we can (in most situations) control.”
She shares her personal experience: “I started walking every morning during Covid, and it changed how I view myself and my capacity to achieve the things I want to. It has been the foundation from which my confidence and mental and physical health has blossomed.”
“Add to this the taking time to reflect I spoke about earlier. This could be in the form of journaling, a gratitude diary, or any other way you choose to pause and acknowledge the day,” Bevan suggests. “Think about what you brought to it by being present, by being you, and savor that feeling.”
At the same time, Bevan advises against forcing yourself into habits that don’t resonate with you. “Don’t try to keep a gratitude journal if it leaves you cold. Harness your individual strengths instead. One of my key strengths is playfulness, so I keep a ‘funny things’ journal instead—the silly things that make me giggle through the week,” she explains.
#7
The earth will eventually heal itself from the pollution sometime after humans are extinct.
Image credits: NapalmCheese
#8
Your dog dreams about you.
Image credits: CapsizedbutWise
#9
Your brain is constantly rewiring itself, so even if you're stuck in a bad habit or mindset, you can always change it with enough effort, no matter how old you are.
Image credits: Hotwife_Kelly
Being optimistic doesn’t mean you need to feel overjoyed every second of the day. Instead, it’s about finding balance and not letting difficult emotions overwhelm you.
“All emotions are important,” Bevan says. “Who ever said we should be happy all the time? That’s not going to happen. Trying to ignore or downplay difficult feelings like sadness, anger, grief, or frustration will only lead to problems further down the line.”
She encourages embracing your emotions fully. “The more you do, the more you will notice and relish the positive things when they do come along,” Bevan notes. “Optimism and hope are the routes back out of the hard times. Don’t force them, but remember that nothing stays the same forever, and the bad times will pass too.”
Finally, Bevan reminds us of the importance of connection: “If you have been stuck in one difficult emotion for a while, please find someone to talk to. Things are always more manageable when they are spoken about.”
#10
Dogs have an innate sense of loyalty and will go to great lengths, even traveling vast distances, to reunite with the people they love. In the 1920s, a collie named Bobby got lost during a road trip and was separated from his family. He traveled over 2,500 miles across the U.S. to find his way back home, reuniting with them after several months!
Image credits: meeniebo
#11
An elevator can not drop if the cable breaks. Thank you Mr. Otis.
Image credits: No-Addendum-4501
#12
There is a social phenomenon called the “liking gap” where there tends to be a discrepancy between how much a person thinks another person likes them and that other person’s actual opinion of them.
Studies have found that people tend to *underestimate* how much people like them and want to spend time with them.
Image credits: doctorbeers
#13
Solar is already one of the cheapest forms of energy humanity has ever created, and it's still getting cheaper.
Image credits: fencerman
#14
Cows have best friends.
Image credits: BettyGlow48
#15
Most of the things we worry about never actually happen. There's a stat about this, a psychologist looked into it and found around 85% of what we worry about never becomes reality. It’s just our brains trying to keep us "prepared."
Image credits: j_tavares
#16
Smiling even if you don't feel like it, can actually improve your mood.
Image credits: loobfoof
#17
The only “normal” people are the ones you don’t know very well. Everyone is weird in their own unique way.
Image credits: lostinkyoto
#18
If you can read this, your life is like waaaaay better than it would have been 100 years ago.
Image credits: ThatsOkayToo
#19
**You have more control over your mindset than you might think.**
Even when external circumstances are difficult, you always have some degree of control over how you choose to respond. Practices like mindfulness, positive reframing, or simply choosing to pause before reacting can significantly shift your perspective and well-being. It’s empowering to know that you can steer your mindset, even in challenging times.
Image credits: Original_Trip1069
#20
If Mr. Rogers met you there's a strong chance he'd be very proud of how far you've come.
Image credits: OneGoodRib
#21
That you do get a bit more self-assured in your 30s compared to your 20s and genuinely stop caring about what others think of you as much.
Image credits: Razkolnik_ova
#22
We’re made of the same atoms and quarks of stars, trillions of years before us. Essentially, we’re made of the universe; and in a way, that means we’re essentially the universe admiring itself. I think that’s pretty neat.
#23
Slow progress is still progress.
This fact helped me get through high school and currently college. No matter how behind you are, you are closer to being caught up with each assignment you complete. You are making progress no matter how small it seems.
#24
Centralia, PA — the site of the long-burning underground fire — has been reclaimed by nature. I was there several years ago as a last-minute decision on the way to somewhere else, and was interested to see the Silent-Hill-style landscape and the big stretches of graffiti. It’s not there anymore. It’s big beautiful plants and trees.
If you know what you’re looking for, you can figure out where parts of individual houses are based on the pipes that remain, but that’s largely it. It was so comforting to be there, in a weird way. .
#25
You are a mosaic of everything and everyone you've ever loved.
mtrbiknut:
I once read that we are "The sum of our education, our upbringing, and our experiences."
#26
Humans have a natural ability to adapt to almost any situation, so no matter what happens, you’ll find a way to cope.
Image credits: s3xyIsa
#27
Something like 130,000 people escape from extreme poverty every single day.
Image credits: Ten_Foreword
#28
When you think about the times in your life you've been embarrassed, you're probably the only person in the world that remembers it and thinks about it.
#29
Heart attacks seldom come out of the blue and strike without prior notice. There are almost always tellable signs in advance, listen to your body and get checked out in doubt.
Image credits: burpadurp
#30
There is always someone out there who loves you. Someone who notices your presence, and finds it comforting. Someone who thinks about how you made an impact on their lives. Someone who anticipates to hear your voice again. There's always someone. Things will be better buddy, I promise.
Image credits: Binary_Gamer64
#31
Crime rates have continuously gone down year after year after year, objectively the world is a safer place than it was (for crime anyways) years ago the news just talks about it more now.
Image credits: Physical-Heron-3459
#32
Penguins have lifelong mates and share childcare responsibilities.
#33
Your survival instincts will kick in in ways that you never even imagined
I was road cycling, and I’m fairly experienced on the roads, but not any serious incidents. there was a car coming up to a stop sign. He slowed down, but then just continued moving forwards. I realized, at the last second that he was 100% running the stop sign and I was *going* to get hit. There was no way around it, I’m getting hit
To this day, I don’t actually know what I did in that last millisecond second to avoid being seriously injured. The car hit me, but I managed to do something to alleviate impact
I think about incidents like that and I am amazed that I am a dope in my everyday life yet there is a part of my brain that activates in situations like that.
#34
You’ve already survived 100% of your bad days.
#35
Statistically, flying is safer than driving.
#36
Some birds can sleep while flying.
#37
Regarding Microplastics: this is not the first time this has happened.
The reason we have coal deep below the ground today is because for millions of years nothing existed to decompose trees. They just built up and up and up in ever deeper layers. Eventually something evolved to fill that niche, and today we have termites and fungus and wood eating bacteria, dozens of ways trees can be broken down by the natural world.
The same will happen with plastics. It will go away, in time. .
Image credits: Nyther53
#38
Below are global facts that paint a very different picture of our world than the doom scrolling.
In 1930 90% of the worlds population were living in abject poverty (less than $2 a day adjusted for inflation). Today only 10% of the worlds population live in abject poverty. The economic activity of the wealthy and middle class in developed nations are globally fixing the problem.
In 1950, the average life expectancy at birth was only 48.5 years. In 2019, it was 72.8 years. That’s an increase of 50 percent.
Out of every 1,000 live births in 1950, 20.6 children died before their fifth birthday. That number was only 2.7 in 2019. That’s a reduction of 87 percent.
Between 1950 and 2018, the average income per person rose from $3,296 to $15,138. That’s an inflation adjusted increase of 359 percent.
Between 1961 and 2013, the average food supply per person per day rose from 2,191 calorie to 2,885 calories. That’s an increase of 31.7 percent.
In 1950, the length of schooling that a person could typically expect to receive was 2.59 years. In 2017, it was 8 years. That’s a 209 percent increase.
The world’s democratic score rose from an average of 5.31 out of 10 in 1950 to an average of 7.21 out of 10 in 2017. That’s a 35.8 percent increase.
Image credits: mrhymer
#39
There’s a lot of good government agencies trying to make things better. I work for a wastewater treatment plant that aims to do better than current guidelines and has been an industry leader in reducing emissions and protecting the environment. We’re among 60 of 20,000 agencies who have had 26 perfect years of protections. A lot of us want to make this world better and got into government to make things better.
Image credits: beezchurgr
#40
It’s actually pretty rare for bats to have rabies. They’re terrible hosts for the disease. That being said, a bat that’s grounded etc is definitely sick, so it’s best not to touch it, just in case.
#41
Tigers have antiseptic saliva.
#42
80% of all IRS audits result in a refund.
#43
A single teaspoon of honey represents the life’s work of 12 bees.
Image credits: CarolLovely52
#44
When you sleep your brain is still working process and sort through your memories.
Image credits: Slow_Whereas9505
#45
The longest living species is a jellyfish that can be biologically immortal.
Image credits: BarbaraHot14
#46
Everything is made of energy, energy can’t be created or destroyed.
#47
If 99% of people think you’re unattractive, there are still roughly 70 million people who think you’re attractive.
#48
You are the product of 3.7 billion years of evolution. Life is resilient!
Image credits: JimiSlew3
#49
Humans and bananas share about 60% of the same DNA.
Image credits: MaryLight31
#50
When I lose something, I find it comforting to know that it is somewhere. Sounds silly, but it makes me feel better.
#51
That most growth is done in and around relationships.
Aka
You have to experience in order to grow.
And I wish more people knew this so that they would give others more chances over writing them off right away (all within reason of course).
Image credits: iiRiDiKii
#52
You're currently on your personal best for most consecutive days alive, and tomorrow you're going to break your current personal best for most consecutive days alive.
You're as young as you'll ever be, so enjoy it.
You're the oldest you've ever been, so enjoy it.
and other such useless platatudes that sometimes help you feel better, sometimes don't.
#53
The Yellowstone cauldera is a massive volcano but since it regularly releases pressure and heat through geysers unless there is a massive earthquake or something equivalent that would cover multiple states then it’s not likely to ever erupt.
#54
I've found that once you spend a month cutting out soda/candy and fried food, they taste awful. I used to crave this?? It doesn't even take that long to reset your taste buds.
Also similar: if there's something common that you don't like, trying a tiny bit once a day can make you get used to it. It took years before I got on the cilantro train, but if you give me a taco, I can handle it now.
Image credits: Affectionate_Star_43
#55
The human brain has the capacity to hold 2.5 million gigabytes of information.
Image credits: DonnaRush30
#56
Only female mosquitoes bite.
#57
We are unimaginably tiny in the grand scheme of things and nothing we do will ever cause a difference to the universe. So do what you want, and go for it.
