Have you ever found yourself reminiscing about your childhood days where your only struggle was making new friends? Admittedly, I still have struggled with that, but now I have the struggles of life on my back too. As we go through new experiences, learn new skills, and take on more responsibilities, over time that begins to really weigh us down. However, on the bright side, you cannot truly appreciate the good times without the bad. When those awful feelings drag you into a state of despair, it’s never too late to gather up the courage to pick yourself up again. There are a few tips that may seem like a cliche, but when you actually put it in to use it’s incredibly beneficial.
The first thing you need to do is to embrace the negative feelings that you are trying to ignore and push deep into the back of your mind. Those feelings are essentially like responsibilities, they simply will not go away until you deal with them upfront. It’s perfectly okay to cry if you want to cry it out, but remember to think about the reason behind your feelings and decide what needs to change so the issue will not reoccur. The only things that you have power over are how you feel and how you react.
There will be sunshine after the storm. This simple concept was taught to me by my mom ever since I was a baby. It is true. Troubles don’t last forever so keep hanging in there for a better tomorrow. Remember that’s what makes life so beautiful, not knowing what tomorrow might bring. After getting through the negative thoughts, focus on the positive outcomes. Then once you conquered that battle, you’ll be more prepared for the next because overall it made you stronger.
Now that your mental state has settled, do something that cheers you up. Whether it be phoning up a friend to hang out, treating yourself to a face mask, creating new life goals, learning a new skill, watching a ted talk, or taking a nap, this step is up to your imagination. This will improve your dopamine levels in your brain, which may help to motivate you to press on through life a little farther. Who knows, as you start to have power over your own happiness you may inspire others to do the same. Simply let the rest fall into place naturally.
In order to live your life, you must experience the ups as well as the downs. No matter how tough the situation you may find yourself in is, everything will be okay. Appreciate the times when you’re down, so you can better notice the good ones. You are always stronger than you realize, but sometimes the only way to find your strength is to be pushed beyond your comfort zone.