When Life Gets Rough
Have you ever had one of those days when it felt like there was no point in trying? Maybe you felt completely out of energy, numb because the days had started to all feel like Groundhog Day, or life felt too hard. Maybe you’ve felt this way for days, weeks, or months before. There’s no playbook for when life gets rough. Believe me, I’ve looked. Out of the likely billions of suggestions for ways to pull myself out of a slump, I’ve rarely found one that works. We’re all different and have very different needs when we are feeling defeated, and to make it even more complicated, what makes us feel better depends on why we feel defeated in the first place.
So obviously, that begs the question, what can you do? Again, everyone is different, but my one piece of advice would be to take a step back and look at it from an outside perspective. So many times I’ve found myself beating my head against a wall, trying the same thing over and over, and getting frustrated when it doesn’t work. When I step back, I can see that I need to change and try something different, but that is almost impossible to see when I’m in it. There’s something about being so focused on getting through the day, or even solving a specific problem, that doesn’t leave space, energy, or time for thinking through a different perspective. I tend to solve my most challenging moments when I give up because finally, I’ve stepped back far enough to see another perspective, albeit unintentionally.
We all hold the keys to solving our problems, but we have to be able to step back and analyze them from an outside perspective to see the solution clearly. Have you ever had a friend share a problem with you that they are struggling with, but the solution seems obvious? I’ve had this happen so many times. A friend will call me so stressed about a problem, and I find a solution for them in minutes. When it’s not my problem, I can look at it objectively. Those same friends do the same for me when I call them with my problems. I’ve learned that I have to do this for myself sometimes when life gets rough and problem-solving is the only way through it.
Unfortunately, life gets rough sometimes. The reasons will be different for all of us, but figuring out what works best for you to help you weather the storms can be invaluable. I’ve weathered quite a few storms in my short time, and I get a little better at making my way through every time. My biggest takeaway to date is that rough patches are not evidence that I’m living my life wrong. They are a normal part of everyone’s life. Rough times are inevitable, so the only thing to do is take responsibility for how I manage them. Do you have any tools for getting through life’s rough times?