I think one of the most important things we can do to maintain our sanity & equilibrium is to acknowledge what's real, and sometimes what's real just sucks. And that's real, too.
You know what Pema Chodron said, right? Start where you are.
Sometimes positivity is overrated. Sometimes it's good to keep your chin up, but the danger of being in denial is something that needs to be balanced, too. I feel like it's a lot easier for me to work through difficult emotions if my first step is to see them for what they are, which I can't do if I'm assiduously trying to turn them into something else.