Adversity affects us all at one time or another whether it is financial, business, relationship or health, you can feel stuck and it can be difficult to see beyond. Here are seven things you can do to help you get your courage on and move through the adversity.
Look for your success – you have many success in your life and you have faced adversity before and triumphed. Take a look at your past successes and see your strengths. Find stories of others who have overcome the struggles you are dealing with.
Don’t get caught up in what if – Running over and over in your mind if only you had done something different, if only you could turn back time is only berating yourself and will not lift you up. No matter what you come up with the possibility exists that even if you had done things differently things could be worse.
Do what you can – Do not avoid things that need to be addressed, open mail, answer calls, handle issues. Avoiding things only leads to larger issues and more negative feelings. Even if bill collectors are calling and you have no money to pay, answer the call and be honest, let them know you will take care of it when you can, that’s it. If people want things from you that you do not want to do, learn to say no. The feeling of handling issues allows you to move on much more quickly than avoidance.
Journal – The exercise of getting the feelings and thoughts out of your head and onto paper can start to help you see things more clearly. You can also journal possible solutions, no matter how silly they might seem, it just may lead to one that works that you would not have thought without clearing your mind. Writing out what you desire for the future can get you started in the direction you want to go rather than feeling stuck where you are.
Let go – Once you have handled all the things you can, let go of the need to change or control. Feel confident in having taken care of things and trust in the possibilities of the future.
Be grateful – When facing adversity or heartache it is easy to overlook all the good that are present in your life. Take a gratitude break and look for all the reasons and things you have to be grateful for in your life despite the current adversity.
Reach out – Do what makes you feel good. When things are bringing you down the tendency is to isolate, which can compound the negative feelings. Get out, go to the places where you feel good, play the music you play when your on top, talk to that person that always inspires you, read the books you like. You know what makes you feel good, now is the time to do it.
Get Your Courage On…don’t let adversity stop you!
