This year has been economically tough for many, especially young women venturing into the job market.
Considering the dynamic life struggles in our families, relationships and careers, it is understandable that we can become engulfed in emotion, processing the means to weather the storm.
The positive thing about tough times is that we get to make choices. Let the dark days mould you into a mental health-conscious person, aware of oneself.
Confront your beliefs, emotions and memories that you think may scare you as you seek to move on.
You cannot control the storms that hit you. However, you have control of your response to them. Here is how:
1. Deal with the frustration
Bad luck is not unique or targeted to specific people. People struggle with adversities at some point in their lives. You will be unfair to yourself if you allow resentment to consume you.
Bitterness gathers all negativity and turns you into a master complainer. Choose to heal. Acknowledge that adversity is the part of life that builds character. You will experience knowing that you had strengths you never knew you had before.
You will appreciate the lessons that come along—even though you won’t see them at first. Accept help from other people in your life who are willing to lend a hand during difficult times.
2. Embrace the power to evoke change
Mental toughness is the difference between successful people and other people who always play the victim.
When we pay more attention to pulling through the tough times, the energy we project will become the driving force to becoming better with our thought processes, beliefs and reactions.
You need to stay positive to transition yourself from the initial shock of the ordeal to deal with your recovery. Intense moments will present you with choices. Staying bitter is a choice. Working through the situation to evoke the change you want to see is also a choice.
3. Be grateful for past victories
One way of inspiring yourself is to think of at least five things that you are grateful for. If you make it a daily habit, it will lighten your mood and give you a new perspective on the things that matter most in life.
Take stock of where you are. Good health, family, ability to read, are some of the simplest things that we take for granted yet they bring immense value into our lives.
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, and confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend,” said Melody Beathe.
4. Identify where to start over
It is sad that the majority of us struggle with coping strategies. This explains why setbacks normally bring out the worst in people.
We react instead of responding. Take time to plan your next move. We often focus heavily on the road to recovery and to success. The plan of action has to have a great starting point.
