Ways to Help You Get Through Tough Times
Maybe you’re experiencing a financial setback. Or someone you love might be facing a health challenge. Maybe you’ve lost your job, or an unhealthy relationship is weighing you down.
You might not be in complete control of these difficulties, but you have a choice in how they impact the way you feel.
Overcoming these challenges is possible. Mental health experts have offered 10 tips to cope with hard times:
Maintaining or changing your perspectiveIf you’re facing a challenging time, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed.
“When faced with emotional pain or frustration, this can feel like you are going to be in it forever,” says Boston-based psychotherapist Angela Ficken. “That thought alone can increase the severity of emotions someone is feeling and make it worse.”
“Whatever you’d say to your best friend, now say the same to yourself,” Ficken suggests. “An example of a reframe would be, ‘I know it feels like this will be forever, and I know logically it’s not. I have been through hard things before and came out OK. I know I will get through this, too.’”Embracing emotions“Emotions don’t go away if we ignore them. They come out later and in ways that we don’t quite understand,” explains Rachelle Heinemann, a mental health counselor in Brooklyn, New York. “The best thing to do when the going gets tough is to acknowledge your emotional experience and allow yourself to feel.”
“Let yourself feel all the emotions. Sadness, frustration, grief,” she suggests. “Allow yourself space to cry, hurt, and be upset.”
Feeling and expressing your emotions is an essential part of healing, says Jennifer Weaver-Breitenbecher, a clinical psychologist in Rhode Island.
Practicing positive projectionMost difficult situations have a possible upside or a pending end date. For example, the last day of a tough school year.
A positive projection requires turning positive intention into words.
“As you become better at staying focused in your meditation […] the detail of your process will become more specific to accomplishments that contribute to improving your life,” Bolen says.
Letting go of the need for control
While it might feel like the best response to a difficult situation is to take charge, sometimes letting go can help preserve your mental health.
“One way to help yourself get through hard times is to let yourself off the hook for things,” says Billy Roberts, a mental health therapist in Columbus, Ohio. “Ironically, many people are even harsher critics of themselves when times are harder or when they are under a lot of stress.”
“Hard times come with challenges that are out of your control, and the harder you try to control the outcome of a difficult time, the more stress you are inflicting onto yourself,” she says.
If you’re facing a challenging time, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed.
“When faced with emotional pain or frustration, this can feel like you are going to be in it forever,” says Boston-based psychotherapist Angela Ficken. “That thought alone can increase the severity of emotions someone is feeling and make it worse.”
“Emotions don’t go away if we ignore them. They come out later and in ways that we don’t quite understand,” explains Rachelle Heinemann, a mental health counselor in Brooklyn, New York. “The best thing to do when the going gets tough is to acknowledge your emotional experience and allow yourself to feel.”
“Let yourself feel all the emotions. Sadness, frustration, grief,” she suggests. “Allow yourself space to cry, hurt, and be upset.”
Feeling and expressing your emotions is an essential part of healing, says Jennifer Weaver-Breitenbecher, a clinical psychologist in Rhode Island.
Most difficult situations have a possible upside or a pending end date. For example, the last day of a tough school year.
A positive projection requires turning positive intention into words.
“As you become better at staying focused in your meditation […] the detail of your process will become more specific to accomplishments that contribute to improving your life,” Bolen says.
Letting go of the need for control
While it might feel like the best response to a difficult situation is to take charge, sometimes letting go can help preserve your mental health.
“One way to help yourself get through hard times is to let yourself off the hook for things,” says Billy Roberts, a mental health therapist in Columbus, Ohio. “Ironically, many people are even harsher critics of themselves when times are harder or when they are under a lot of stress.”
“Hard times come with challenges that are out of your control, and the harder you try to control the outcome of a difficult time, the more stress you are inflicting onto yourself,” she says.
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