It is believed that at least once in lifetime, everyone goes through a difficult phase that shakes them to the core. It can be different things for different people like not getting your dream job or losing a parent. But, there are habits and strategies that could help one learn how to overcome difficult experiences or phases in life.
The difficult phases or circumstances can take a toll on your mental and physical health. It can quickly demotivate you and also wrung out your energy. But, by learning how to overcome difficult experiences, one can keep their head above water and push through difficult situations.
Acknowledge the difficult experience to overcome it
Whether it is going through the pandemic collectively or experiencing a personal setback, life never stops throwing us curveballs. I always struggled to accept when something didn’t go my way or when a problem popped up out of nowhere.
Although I am not over the problem of acceptance completely, one strategy that helped me immensely was facing the issue head-on. Running away from the situation will postpone your reaction and it will just increase your anxiety.
It is okay to feel upset or even angry when things don’t work out! In fact, being angry is good. A study conducted in the University of Michigan School showed that people who repressed their anger were at a higher risk of bronchitis and even heart attack! Therefore, it is recommended that you release your emotions in a healthy way by acknowledging the problem or issue.
Take your time to deal with the situation
Everyone works differently. While it may be normal for someone to take a day to learn how to overcome a difficult situation, it might take you a week. Both ways are normal and acceptable, especially if you are dealing with a lost life and grieving.
Only when the time taken starts to affect other aspects of your life do you need to rethink your approach and maybe come up with alternatives to overcome the situation.
Meditate and contemplate
Sometimes, it is not the situation but the emotions attached that become a cause for concerns. This means that although you may understand that something happened and that it is not a big deal practically, you may struggle to apply the tricks you learned.
In that case, meditation can be your friend. There are various types of meditation that you could try to help learn how to overcome difficult experiences. Something as simple as deep breaths can also help you calm down.
Journal your thoughts
Another minimal activity that can help you overcome difficult phases in your life is to journal your thoughts. Writing down everything that you are thinking and feeling helps to clear your head. It is a great way to release all that tension in a healthy manner. In fact, a trial concluded that journaling regularly has the same effect on you as cognitive behavioral therapy has and that it can help reduce depression.
Studies show that journaling also helps deal with anxiety. Both anxiety and depression have negative intrusive thoughts that the journal helps to combat. When you write down your thoughts, you can analyze them and understand yourself better.
Push through difficult experiences
There is something about pushing through that gives the impression that in order to learn how to overcome difficult situations, one should ignore their feelings. However, there is a healthy way to be positive and push through tough experiences in life.
There are multiple things one can do to overcome a difficult phase in life.
· Exercise for mental health and strength
Life often shoves difficult situations upon us when we least expect it. Exercising or even being active regularly is a great way to take care of your mental health when feeling low. Studies show that exercise can not only help fight anxiety and depression but also decrease its symptoms and effects on those suffering from it.
Exercise does not necessarily mean that you have to go to the gym every day and work out for hours to see results. It can be something as simple as going for a 20-minute walk or taking the stairs instead of the lift.
·Be kind to yourself
Being a friend to yourself becomes so much more important when you are struggling to overcome a negative situation. A study published in the journal Clinical Psychological Scienceshowed that people who were kind and compassionate to themselves felt safer, had healthier heart rates, and overall better mental well-being.
On the other hand, people who were not kind to themselves felt more threatened and had an increased heart rate. This also meant that these people felt more distressed.
·Make an action plan to overcome difficult experience
One of the best ways to know how to overcome difficult experiences in life is to make an action plan. All the emotions that you feel, although valid, won’t help you overcome the problem until you make use of them. I would even suggest taking a piece of paper and physically writing down what practical steps you should be taking to get yourself out of the situation.
·Seek professional help
There should be no shame in seeking out professional help if you are struggling mentally. Mental health is just as important as physical health. If you fell down and hurt your arm, you would go to the doctor immediately and not wonder what anyone would say. It should be the same about mental health. If you are not comfortable telling people that you are seeking help, then you don’t even have to tell anyone.
Even the best of us go through difficult situations and circumstances that make us feel weak and underconfident. Equipped with the tips and strategies mentioned above, you will know how to overcome difficult situations positively. Over time, it gets easier and tough phases do not hold the same power over you.
