Sometimes in life, there are challenges that we must face. There’s no way around them and to get through the situation, you’ll have to do some work. This is sometimes incredibly difficult hard because it hits on the most tender parts of ourselves. For example, when someone is unkind to you at a job you need, you can’t just quit but the pain of their rejection is almost too much to bear. We all have our own triggers and pain points based on the experiences that have led us to the moment we’re in right now.
It’s important to remember that the situation, the pain, the fear, and whatever else you’re dealing with is something that will pass. You just have to stay afloat while life happens. The silver lining is that there are helpful tips to help you navigate whatever challenges and hardships you’re facing in life. It’s about resilience during tough times and managing your mind through various practices. Here are some actions you can take that will significantly help the mind, body, and soul during challenging times in life.
Connect with Others
It’s important not to isolate yourself when you’re going through turmoil. Staying connected with others and talking about your challenges will help you feel better about it. Your friends and loved ones may even have some valuable insight for you.
Studies have actually found that connecting with people helps your physical and mental state and let’s face it, when things aren’t going well, you need all the help you can get to stay afloat. People may also share a similar experience, which helps you realize that you’re really not alone in your struggles.
Challenge Yourself Physically
You may not feel like going out for a walk or going to a Pilates class, but being physically active can does wonders to your mood. It also sends strong messages to your brain because as you’re struggling with pain through a physical activity, you’re proving to yourself that you can make it through other types of pain.
If you’ve lost a loved one, going through a tough break up, or dealing with financial problems, you may not think you’ll overcome the grief. Other issues that come up where you’re emotionally entangled give you the same feeling. Doing physical activities that challenge you can be a powerful weapon in fighting off depression and limiting beliefs during difficult times.
Don’t forget that the body and mind are intrinsically connected. Physical activity can help with resiliency, which is an emotional muscle. Research is showing that when you stress your physical muscles through exercise, you increase your ability to mentally cope with stress. During difficult times, that’s exactly what you need.
Look Outside of Yourself
When you feel like you’re in one of life’s crisis, it takes a lot to stop the rumination and get out of your own head. Take the opportunity to help others or at least have compassion to others who are also dealing with hardships. When you respond with care to someone outside of yourself, it will fill you up and give you a few moments to forget about the things happening in your life. Everyone is suffering in their own way and in different severities.
Maintaining a connection to the flow of life and the pain others are in is a deeply powerful practice. An old Tibetan Buddhist meditation, called Tonglen allows you to contact with the suffering that’s going on with the people close to you and even those you don’t know. If you think about the wars happening today, you can send your compassion to those who are deeply suffering. Through the recognition of connectedness and the love that’s within you, you’ll feel a deep well of fulfillment that can help you cope with your challenges in life.
Meditation and Yoga
One of the worst things about a challenge in life is that we deny our true nature. However, there is a great opportunity to use spiritual tools to help you through life’s challenges. As Buddha obtained enlightenment, it didn’t come easy. In his silence as he sat, he had to deal with the weight of the world and face all of his demons.
All of our thoughts and the things that happen to us are merely objects. Some we let go of while others we cling to. Meditation and yoga were developed so everyone could enjoy the splendors of a Buddha’s mind. While suffering is inevitable, you can look at it with non-judgement and just allow its presence. Real life situations happen but it’s how you cope with it and view it that is within your control.
Meditation is a practice that brings you closer to the wisdom of your soul and brings balance to your mind and body once again. In the most trying times, go within and meditate to find the great strength that exists within you. If you have even a moment where you think of nothing, you’ll see that you can find safety within yourself.
Sleep and Eat
While this is not always the easiest to master when you’re out of sorts, that’s why it’s important to practice the above tips. When you’re anxious, it’s hard to eat or sleep. Through meditation, yoga, compassion, and connectedness, you’ll find it easier to manage the hardship. Things are going to happen in life that are not in our control, but stress is something that we can control. Not always but when you put in the effort, it’s going to be reduced.
Do everything you can to stay calm, so the body doesn’t fly off into fight or flight mode, leaving you desperate for sleep and the desire to eat. In the face of adversity and painful challenges you may be facing, staying calm should be your main focus. Without sleep, you can’t function and properly deal with the situation. If you’re unable to fuel your body with nutrient-rich food, you’ll also have a difficult time dealing with your life and the challenge itself. So for the sake of practices like eating and sleeping, stay calm.
While some of these tools may seem basic, they have been tried and tested to help you navigate through hard times. In fact, some of these tips are ancient practices that brought enlightenment. We often overlook the easy, simple answers in search of a more complicated solution. Chances are, you can’t control the difficulty of a situation in life but you can control how you manage it.
