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WHITFIELD: I-Reporters are sharing their frustrations about the tight economy and the uncertainties that go along with not having a job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So in case you haven't noticed, our economy sucks. There's so much going on. It's so frustrating. So, one, I can't get a job. Two, my school is on hold. Three, I can't get an internship. So it's like what do I do with my time? It's frustrating going to jobs and being turned down because they aren't hiring. And it's just frustrating.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, a lot of people are feeling very frustrated like that. How do you turn lemons into lemonade? As we heard from that i-Reporter, he used the word it sucks a lot. Michelle Deangelis is the author of the book "Get a Life That Doesn't Suck." She has spent years studying the secrets of a positive attitude. She is joining us now from sunny Los Angeles.

How can you not be upbeat if you're living in Los Angeles, right? That's for starters, Michelle.

MICHELLE DEANGELIS, CAREER COACH: Exactly right. Great to be here.

WHITFIELD: What advice do you have perhaps to the young man we just heard? He went down the list of all the things he is unable to attain right now. A job, for one. It's hard to be upbeat right now. What's your best advice?

DEANGELIS: You know, I'm seeing -- small consolation maybe to him. But I'm seeing, in corporate America and with individual across the country that I'm coaching, something I've never seen before. People are really second-guessing themselves on everything. So my suggestion is that people learn exactly what works for them for their coping skills, and they focus on the solution, not the problem.

WHITFIELD: OK. And that really means kind of being in check with yourself, focusing on the solution. And it's hard to look at the solution when all you're getting is kind of maybe a lot of negative feedback. So what are some steps that you might take me through to help me if I'm feeling pretty down in the dumps to be upbeat and to only think about the positive?

DEANGELIS: Well, the first thing is cut out all the negative crap. Get rid of the negative thoughts you hold, the actions you're doing, the people that you surround yourself with. Be very on purpose to -- instead of saying, I'll never get that promotion or I'm going to lose my job, it's I can do this. I will add value. It's coming up with ways that you can talk to yourself, that you can show up in life and demonstrate that you're positive and get away from the energy suckers that are constantly complaining.

WHITFIELD: Yes. It's really interesting. You said, you need to be a little more careful about who you're associating with. Yes, this person is your best buddy, but if it's always down, down, down, time to eliminate that person. Surround yourself by a lot of positive people, for one. You say think good thoughts, thoughts that affect your life. And you need to do it now, as opposed to putting it off to tomorrow.

DEANGELIS: Yes. A technique that I developed in working with my clients that is based in science and is a foolproof way to deal with some of the aggravation and the unexpected problems that can come flying at you, whether it's at work or at home or in your commute, is called the back technique. It stands for breathe, acknowledge, choose and kick into gear.

And what the breathing does -- it sound very simple, and it is amazingly effective. Science has proven that if you can create a half of a second delay between stimulus and response, between problem and how you respond to it, that you can get the harsh emotional reaction out of the way, and let the more sophisticated reaction come in.

So that first step of taking a breath is actually guaranteeing your success in handling that problem.

WHITFIELD: It's interesting to hear you articulate it that way, because that's really one of the premises, really at the core of, say, yoga, you know, that breathing. And people who do yoga will always tell you, particularly after the breathing exercises, how much better they feel.

DEANGELIS: Well, it does so many things, other than just oxygenate your brain, which lets you think better in the first place. But it releases endorphins. It boosts your immune system. It does amazing things.

Just to continue with that, after you breathe, it's acknowledge what you're feeling. Oh, my god, I just got a pink slip, or I can strangle her, whatever the emotion is. And then, C, is choose how to respond. Choose what you want to have happen. And so many people think they have no choice. They think they just can fly off the handle. There's a much better way to do it.

K of the B-A-C-K is kick into gear and act on that choice.

WHITFIELD: OK, begin with that positive thinking. Michelle Deangelis, love it, author of "Get a Life That Doesn't Suck, Remaining Positive During Difficult Times." Appreciate it.

This afternoon at 4:00 Eastern, join me for "Jobless, Not Hopeless," really carrying that kind of theme. Yes, times are tough, you've lost your job. But we meet a number of people and introduce them to you, who say they're not without hope. We'll be joined by a job recruiter, as well as a life skills coach, as well as an employer. All of us will be talking in the 4:00 Eastern hour about the things you can do to try to nail that job down.

To read the complete transcript, click here.