Many people I know, including myself, seem to be having a tough time with life in general as of late. Whether it’s due to it being the tail end of winter, the end of the semester, or just a stressful time in general, I’m not sure. What I do know is that it can be really difficult to watch your friends go through a tough time, especially if you are going through a tough time yourself. That being said, it is times like these when we most learn to be resilient and learning to bounce back from tough times in our lives is a very important life skill, because as I’m sure we all know, life doesn’t stop moving.
When going through a rough patch, whether it be a break up, a stressful time in school, or being sick, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the situation. Responsibilities start to pile up, and it can feel like you are struggling to keep your head above water. The most helpful thing that you can do as soon as you start to feel like this, is assess the situation. I know that sounds almost too logical, but asking yourself questions like, “Is this going to affect me in a year?” or “Can I or can I not control this situation?” really puts things into perspective and can make life’s obstacles seem a little more manageable.
The next most helpful thing you can do for yourself is trying to stay on top of your responsibilities the best that you can. Make a list of what needs to be done by when and choose which priorities you think you can reasonably stay caught up with. Don’t overload yourself – this will just make everything seem more overwhelming and be counterproductive. If you know there are responsibilities that you are going to fall short on, don’t beat yourself up about it, but do understand that it is your responsibility to communicate this with whoever needs to be aware. If there is an assignment you know you won’t be able to get done, talk to your professor. If you know you won’t be up for coffee with your friend, tell them. Avoiding these responsibilities will only stress you out more and prevent you from actually taking the time to recover and heal from whatever you are going through.
Finally, no matter what you are going through, know that it is okay to need help. Everyone goes through times in their lives where things can seem overwhelming, upsetting, and stressful, and there is no shame in not wanting to go through that alone. Whether it be your best friend, a parent, or a professional counselor or therapist, taking the time to sit down with someone else to explain what is happening in your life and being able to see the situation from someone else’s perspective can make a world of difference. Even if that person is just a shoulder to cry on, it is important to at least know that you are not alone. Time truly does heal everything and bouncing back from difficult situations isn’t expected to happen over night. Healing from being hurt isn’t linear, meaning that some days may be good, while there may still be some bad days down the road. Just remember that in whatever you are going through, you are not alone, and that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.