man going through hard times in hospital with wife

How to Cope With Hard Times

2023-06-23T01:25:29+00:00

By Publisher

Regardless of how trivial or tragic challenges of life could be, they are generally unavoidable. But the good thing is that there are ways through which one could cope with hard times.

1. Be grateful

There are always things to show gratitude to God for, every second and minute of each day. It could come in the form of a warm sun, phone call from an old friend or even the blessing of seeing another day. When you sit back and take inventory of all the good things that have taken place in your life, that one problem in your life may not be so terrible. Always remember that there are individuals that would be happy to trade their challenges for yours in an instant.

2. Focus your attention on other things

As much as possible, try to shift your attention to other things outside the challenges that you are currently being confronted with. The reason is not far-fetched – problems can be all-consuming, and the more you think about those challenges, the worse they tend to become. Simply divert your attention to other meaningful things and accord your mind and emotions the required break. For instance, you can work on a hobby, take a child to the park and go to a movie.

3. Reach out to friends

Massive research has shown that social connections most often have a positive effect on a person’s well-being. Therefore in hard times, reaching out to friends and letting them know of what you are currently passing through can be helpful. The implication is that you will feel as if you are not alone, and a sympathetic listener with kind words is sometimes all you need to cheer up.

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4. Cultivate the habit of laughing

Regardless of the situation, cultivate the habit of laughing at all times. The reason is that laughter is as much of an emotional release as crying, especially when we can laugh at ourselves. It is also interesting to note that there is always some humour to be found in any situation as long as you’re willing to look for it.

5. Accept what you can’t change

It is important to differentiate the things you can change from the things you can practically do nothing about. Identify little things you can do that will help in making a situation better. For instance, if the challenge has to do with a sick neighbour or loved one, you can pay them a visit or even cook dinner for them. You must however not give in to the things that cannot be changed. When you do that, you will only be setting yourself up for more stress.

6. Meditate and connect with God

Regardless of the situation you find yourself, you will always need to connect with God. This is even more important in times of tragedies. Connecting to God through prayer and meditation goes a long way to calm down situations and make you feel you’re not alone.

7. Continue with your life

You must not remain in the past or continue to remember the painful parts of your life. This will only drain your spirit through negative emotions which include anger and resentment.