Getting through hard times can be a challenge. In the current state we are in, with the (COVID–19) situation, it feels like everything that’s happening is out of our control. This time came unexpectedly, we were not prepared for how quickly things developed.
Whether is closings of schools, restaurants, work, our daily lives have completely shifted. Now we are spending all our time at home, indoors with our families, waiting for things to turn around.
If you’ve ever been through rough times, whether is a job loss, a traumatic event, a breakup or any other circumstance that has changed your life and you as an individual. You know that those days, feel long. The negative effects feel like they last a lifetime.
Even though we can’t avoid negative things happening in our lives, we can decide how to handle them. We can decide what things to do to get through them and come out even stronger than before. Here are 6 tips that will help you get through tough times:
1. Keep a routine…
Keeping a routine is the best way to stay focused during tough times. As boring as it may sound, keeping a routine could be very beneficial. Researchers have found that routines can have psychological benefits.
Having a routine in place can help to alleviate anxiety and stress according to Dr. Steve Orma, CBT clinical psychologist specializing in treating insomnia, anxiety and stress. “Routine [also] helps with stress … Create a set schedule for doing chores, work tasks, meetings, exercise, paying bills, and all the usual things you need to do. Put these into your schedule. Once this becomes your normal routine, it’s easier to accomplish everything, because it becomes habit.”
Keeping a routine during times where your mind is wondering is more important than ever. Usually during stressful times, we obsess over the situation, creating even more problems than necessary. Focusing on manageable tasks will keep your mind occupied.
I know if I let my mind wonder too much during stressful times I find myself creating “mountains of molehills” which means over exaggerating the situation and in result making it take over my mind more than it should.
Focusing on doing other things I normally do keeps my mind from wondering and leaves me feeling more in control. Because if I don’t get things done that needed to be done, I would be filled with even more stress thinking about all the tasks I’ve avoided.
2.Dont lose momentum & shift your thinking….
After creating a routine you must keep that momentum going. Each day you must make a choice to keep pushing as if life is normal or curl up in a ball until the storm passes. Some people don’t have a choice, they have families and kids or pets who are waiting for them and depending on them. Other’s use more intrinsic motivation to get them going. What ever it may be, is important to always keep going.
As hard as it may be, keeping momentum will propel you forward and even with troubles and difficult times it will keep you developing as a person. To come out on top you must continue to make an effort no matter how difficult.
For motivation look at someone who inspires you and ask yourself how would they handle a similar situation? This can help you step out of your mind and find strength like someone you admire would have. For example internationally bestselling author Haruki Murakami talked to the The Paris Review about this motivational morning routine which is impressive:
“When I’m in writing mode for a novel, I get up at 4 a.m. and work for five to six hours. In the afternoon, I run for 10 kilometers or swim for 1,500 meters (or do both), then I read a bit and listen to some music. I go to bed at 9 p.m. I keep to this routine every day without variation. The repetition itself becomes the important thing; it’s a form of mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind.”
Look for some motivation in your surroundings or in the media it will help shift your thinking during tough times.
3.Meditate often…
Meditation is very powerful, specially for stress relieve. Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. Wiki
One of the best stress reducing forms of meditation is Mindfulness meditation that aims to reduce a person’s stress level, physically and mentally. Mindfulness meditation, can reduce anxiety, provide clarity and reduce stress.
Adding meditation to your morning or night routine can keep you calm and bring clearer thoughts into your life.
4.Put yourself together everyday…
Sometimes getting all dressed up is the last thing on your mind during tough times, but personal grooming can actually have a positive affect on your mood and thoughts. Getting yourself together daily regardless of what’s going on in your life can uplift you and make you feel much more in control.
Making the first choice of the day be about respecting and loving yourself and putting yourself first could be the motivation you needed to tackle any hardships. Getting dressed up and groomed daily tells your inner self, you’re here, you’re not backing down, you’ve chosen to fight the battle and you know you came to win.
5.Find your creative outlet…
Getting creative is good for the soul and keeps us happy and uplifted. It also can improve your overall health. According to studies, “Drawing, painting, or molding objects from clay has been scientifically proven to help people to deal with different kinds of trauma.” Art and getting creative can help you release stress you might not be able to put into words.
Expressing yourself in other ways can help you process and release things that you might not be able to explain or share with your significant other.
In times of stress the best thing to do is grab your paint brush or coloring book, a notebook or any other tool you prefer. Get creative with crafts or anything to your liking. Writing can help express trauma or negative emotions. “A number of studies have also found that writing — expressive writing, in particular, which requires participants to narrate an event and explain how it affected them — can help people to overcome trauma and manage negative emotions.”
6.Remember tough times make you stronger…
Tough times make us stronger in the end. Think back to negative experiences, a breakup or the end of something great. It all made you stronger and wiser. It’s like shedding a layer of your old self and leaving it behind. Is like taking a step into a room where your new self stands.
Every hardship can be a lesson, NO can stand for New Opportunity. Let’s take something out of these lessons and be better prepared for the little bumps in the road.
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image source: instagram.com/aliyahraey
