March 28, 2024

5 Ways To Endure Difficult Times

No one’s life is easy–no one! It’s true that some people seem to have it easier than others. However, you can bet they’re suffering from one thing or another.

That’s why we should all try to refrain from imposing our personal views or jump to unprovable and, frankly, unknowable conclusions. Instead, why not try to be more civil towards one another and show some empathy?

We could all use a bit more positivity in our day, don’t you think? Even the simple act of smiling as you pass someone by can brighten up their day. That’s how closely we’re all connected!

While we’re at it, we should mention that smiling is one of the best ways to endure difficult times. So, if you’re interested in finding out more ways to help you get through the tough times in your life, you’ve come to the right place!

Let’s get started.

Be Patient

Our brains are hardwired to protect against all foreign and domestic threats. Consequently, they tend to stretch out adverse events in our lives to make you think it’s been happening for a long time.

However, the worst part is that you start believing that the bad times will go on forever. You feel like there’s no end in sight, and you’re doomed to lead a tragic life.

Don’t believe it.

One of the constants in life is change. So, whatever you’re going through—good or bad—will end eventually. English theologian and historian, Thomas Fuller was correct when he said, ‘It’s always darkest before the dawn.’ The psalmist said in Psalm 30:5, ‘Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.'

There will be situations that will call on you to act and help bring the problem to an end. With others, on the other hand, you simply need to wait out the storm and have faith in yourself.

Embrace Your Weaknesses

Each of us has our own individualized set of strengths and weaknesses, attributes and flaws. The problem is that when things get tough, we only focus on how weak and helpless we feel.

We lose sight of our strengths and trick ourselves into highlighting our flaws. This makes us feel like losers incapable of rising above any challenging situations.

The key to avoiding this pit of self-doubt is to never measure yourself by someone else’s yardstick. Then, remind yourself of all your strengths.

You can even make a list of all the good things you’re good at and hang it up. Make sure you place it somewhere you pass by frequently. It’s a great trick that will help shift your perception from feeling weak and vulnerable to feeling empowered and confident.

Be Proud of How Far You’ve Come

Surely you haven’t made it this far in life without having been in one or two bad situations. For this reason, whenever you need a bit of a boost during tough times, just remind yourself of similar situations you’ve endured in the past.

You probably either overcame the situation or you didn’t. Either way, you came out having learned something and gained life experience.

It’s a great confidence booster to remember how well you managed to navigate difficult times and challenges. It’ll also help shift your attitude from a sense of helplessness to feeling motivated to take action, resist wallowing in self-pity, and do what needs to get done.

Practice Gratitude

We started the article by saying that everyone goes through hard times in their life. That’s a given. But the difference between those who land on their feet and those who live a life of gloom is gratitude.

No matter how difficult things might be right now, there will always be a dozen other things going well in your life.

Is your relationship on the rocks? Be happy that you have a steady job, have a roof over your head, and can put food on the table.

Are you having problems at work? Be thankful for your health, family, and friends.

Interestingly, there are all the little things we tend to take for granted, like beautiful sunsets, relaxing walks in the park, and delicious coffee. Change your perspective, and you’ll realize that things aren’t really that bad after all.Learn from Your Experiences

Life coaches, psychologists, and therapists all agree that there's no failure when it comes to personal development. There’s only your interpretation of the events and how you react to them.

Sounds simple enough, right? Yes! But as soon as you’re faced with a problem, all that wisdom flies out of the window. I think Mike Tyson said it best when he said, ‘Everyone has a plan until they punched in the mouth.'

This comes from years of being programmed to view failure as a big flashing bulb telling us we’re not doing something right, causing us to steer off course. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, everything we now do so well came from a trial-and-error process, like walking, typing, and riding a bike.

What you should do is try to figure out why this is happening. Then, use this experience to learn more about likes and dislikes, weaknesses and strengths. Eventually, you’ll be able to turn things around.

Difficult times are just that — difficult. But they’re not a death sentence. If we employ a few common sense techniques, we can overcome them.

dhf

If you like this content, check out my Substack at:

https://theunreliablemind.substack.com