It’s natural to face tough times throughout the cycle of this thing called life.
We have to make hard choices, difficult decisions, and accept that things aren’t always in our control. That can be stressful and challenging, to say the least.
The truth is, life gets hard. Things don’t always go as planned.
How can we learn to cope and get through these hard times? What do we do when life gets tough? Here are 6 tips to follow:
11 Tips for When Life Gets Hard
1. Remember that it will change
The number one thing to keep in mind is that life is forever changing, and the state that you are in at this moment is not permanent.
Feel settled knowing that. Remind yourself of it when you are having a hard time. Really take this in and embrace it.
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2. Take it as a learning experience
You’d be surprised that during tough times and through suffering, we often come out on the other side with lessons learned. No matter what life brings you.
Think deeply about what could come from your current situation and any lessons you can learn from it.
For example, when I am going through tough times I find that I reflect a lot more and tend to evaluate my reaction to outside factors.
I question where I could have gone wrong and if I reacted without thinking.
How could I improve this? This could be a lesson learned for the future.
3. Take it day by day
Remember that there’s always tomorrow.
You may be feeling super low today, but tomorrow may be different. It’s easy for us to dwell in the moment.
But the truth is, you don’t know what tomorrow may hold and find peace in knowing that.
It could help spark a bit of hope deep inside you and you could find a bit of happiness when life is hard.
4. Practice Gratitude
It may be difficult to try and find gratitude when you are going through a lot at the moment.
But this simple practice has the power to transform your mindset.
Start by writing down the three things you are most grateful for in life.
This could be a family member, a friend, your pet, your career, etc.
Then write down WHY you are grateful for this force in your life.
Are you grateful for your children because they bring you joy and unconditional love?
Are you grateful for your health because it allows you to be active and present for others?
Try applying this practice to your everyday life, and write down things you are grateful for in the mornings when you wake up or right before you go to bed.
These could be small things such as catching up with an old friend or the appreciation you received at work.
This practice can help reveal all the positives that remain in your life and get you through those tough times.
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5. Practice self-care
Self-care is so important to put into practice when you are going through a rough patch.
It can improve your physical and mental state, as well as your overall well-being.
Self-care falls into several different categories such as spiritual, emotional, personal, financial, etc.
But for now, lets simply focus on physical and mental.
How can you improve your physical well-being during hard times? Here are a few self-care tips to follow:
• Sleep Well
Getting a good night’s sleep improves clarity, mood, and prepares you to face the day.
Make sure to get a full 7-8 hours of sleep, as recommended by experts.
• Stay Hydrated
Take good care of your body by keeping hydrated at all times.
Keep a glass of water by your bed and bring a bottle with you on the go.
• Physical Activity & Yoga
Exercise is one of the best natural medicines we could give ourselves.
To really uplift yourself in a positive way and get those endorphins flowing, try to get a daily dose of physical activity, whether that is going for a 30-minute run, joining the gym, or practicing yoga.
Yoga is especially beneficial in hard times, as it is proven to boost your self-esteem, improve mental clarity, and creates mindfulness.
Now let’s move onto mental self-care.
While you are not in the best mental state when you are going through difficult times, you can try to improve this- little by little. Here’s how:
• Practice Self-discovery
Self-discovery is essential for growth and could really help you get to know yourself better in hard times.
Try writing down on a piece of paper the answers to these three questions:
-What is my purpose in life?
– Where do I see my life going?
– What is my definition of success?
Of course, you can come up with several different questions of your own, but taking some time to clarify your purpose in life can really guide you towards improving it.
• Read More
Reading has the power to take you out of the current moment and provides a mini-escape of discovery.
Reading help you to learn and is proven to decrease stress.
Try stopping my your local library or searching on your kindle for a book that can inspire you and lift you up during these hard times.
• Set Goals
Setting goals can lead you on a path to continuous self-development and make you hopeful for the future.
Try planning out some daily, monthly, and yearly goals.
This activity will distract you from your present situation and guide you towards a future that looks brighter and more fulfilling.
6. Learn acceptance
No matter how hard you try, you simply cannot go back and change the past. Nor can you change things that are beyond your control.
Acceptance is not easy and takes time to come to terms with.
But when you are going through a rough patch, it could be the very thing that sets you free.
To help you along the process of acceptance, try writing down some daily statements such as:
– “I can’t change the past.”
– “Some things are beyond my control.”
– “Focus on the future, and let go of the past.”
Setting daily acceptance reminders will help you to cope with your current situation and lean into a state of acceptance.
7. Take some time to relax
When you are stressed out, there is no way that you will be able to come up with good solutions for whatever problems you are having. You need to find a way to relax in order to get rid of stress and clear your mind of whatever issues you are facing.
There are many ways to relax, from meditation and yoga to watching a movie and listening to music. Whatever you do, just make sure that you give yourself some time alone in order to be at peace with the decisions that you will have to make.
8. Talk it out
There is a reason that a majority of therapists have a background in social work. Whether you actually go to a therapist to have these talks or just talk them out with your friends and family members, it is important that you get everything off of your chest so that you can move forward.
When you are able to get all of your thoughts out into the open about what is bothering you, you will feel much better and much more ready to make the necessary changes in order to fix your problems.
9. Think about solutions that are possible
After you take time away from your problems and discuss them with others, then it’s time to start coming up with solutions that can help you to deal with what’s going on. If you are having relationship problems, you might want to consider taking some time apart in order to get over your feelings.
If your job is making you stressed out, it may be worth looking into moving on and finding a new one that will align with what you really want in life instead of forcing yourself to stay somewhere where you aren’t happy.
10. Realize that there is no use in dwelling
Once you have come up with some solutions, don’t let yourself go back to worrying about the same problems over and over again. Instead of dwelling on what isn’t working out in your life, focus on all of the great things that are going on around you.
If you keep coming back to what’s wrong, you will keep yourself in a negative mindset and prevent yourself from doing the things that could potentially make your life better. Do not let minor setbacks get you down! It is always darkest before dawn.
11. Find comfort in others
Finally, remember to reach out and ask for help when you need it. If you have been trying to handle your problems on your own for too long, then it might be time to reach out and ask for some assistance.
There is nothing wrong with admitting when you need help, especially when the people in your life are the ones who can give it to you. Don’t let pride or any other feeling stand in the way of making yourself happy.
And there you have it, 11 valuable tips for when life gets hard. No matter what life brings you, you have the internal power and strength to see it through. How do you get through hard times? Share in the comments below.