Attitudes are like rear ends, everyone has one, and just like rear ends, what exudes from them can change the attitude of everyone around. For most bay area’s residents, the overall attitude is that of appreciation for tolerance and diversity. The ever-rising costs of living and over populated areas anxiety can cause bubble over in the fierce competition of trying to live in the bay area.
How you carry yourself and treat others around you is fundamental not only for them but for you as well. When you treat people nicely, it makes you feel good as well.
According to Dr. Ray Grim an Instructor at Chabot College for over 20 years “Socio-economic factors play a major part in how people’s attitude like poverty and ostracism from their group or family can lead to bad attitudes and or depression. I think the overall attitudes may be a little better in the Bay-area because our unemployment rates are so low and people are generally happy that or maybe it’s the good weather.”
He went on about the things you can practice to maintain a positive attitude. “There is a site at U.C. Berkeley that practices positive psychology called greater good, and they promote gratitude, mindfulness, meditation, taking the time to enjoy your surroundings and expressing gratitude to someone in their lives can really improve a person’s attitude. Giving people the benefit of the doubt really helps as well.”
It is easy to let little thing bother us throughout our day to day lives especially with the weight of competitive success continually looming in the back of our consciences. I asked third-year art major at Chabot College, Demetriana Germany what she did when those everyday inconveniences start to get the best of her and she stated, “When people really start to annoy or bug me the most I turn to my music, and that’s all I need.”
According to an article by Mike Bundrant on Psychcentral.com the are four reasons you wake up with a lousy attitude, and those are:
- Morning depression- which may be caused by disturbed circadian rhythms that affects your hormones, Not enough sleep- perhaps too obvious but if you’re not sleeping enough your body will not function optimally which includes your brain and moods,
- Low magnesium- you may need to supplement which is an essential mineral that stress tends to deplete,
- Lack of gratitude- for many of us gratitude doesn’t come naturally so it must be practiced, and when practiced it has profound effects on well-being.
Jacob Harvie, a third-year student at Chabot College, thinks that most people in the Bay Area are anxious and hasty because of the media pushing people always to be doing something or going somewhere. I asked him what he does to change his bad attitude, and he responded, “I like to listen to classical music and smoke cigarettes which is probably not the best thing, but it works for me.”
No matter where you are in life stress is always a factor and how you deal with it will determine your attitude and how your attitude is perceived can either affect the people around you positively or negatively. If we all try to practice some of the techniques to remain positive, it will not only help the people around you, but it will change how the most important person in your life feels you. So stay positive and promote good attitudes.