Tips To Stay Strong During Tough Times

Hard times can affect anybody. They can be disguised as a financial crisis, a failure in an exam and even a death in the family. In these situations, people tend to lose their mental stability and fall victim to various mental health illnesses. It affects family and friends thus creating a havoc in life. Thus, it is important to stay strong during these tough times.

Below are few tips to stay strong during tough times.

Quit being the victim

It is very easy to feel like the victim in these situations, which hampers your ability to think clearly and you also start to reject help which comes from outside. Instead, you should take responsibility for what has happened. By doing this, you will be able to let go of resentments and bitterness and will be able to think clearly.

Focus on the positives

In any situation, there are always some positive aspects, no matter how dire the situation is. When we go through tough times, it becomes very difficult to focus on the positives. You can list out the positives by maintaining a diary. Looking for positives in any situation will help you relax and gain your mental stability.

Be thankful

We need to be thankful in the face of any situation. Being thankful about the current situation will help you look at the positives and pull you away from self-pity or wallowing. Being grateful for the things you have, which didn’t get destroyed, will help you focus on the positives and will broaden the structure you are seeing.

Reach out

Helping others and taking help from others is not a shameful thing. Reaching out for help will actually provide you with a broader sense of the situation. It can help you find the closure you would need or the solution you were trying to find. Reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness, but it’s about being ready to explore what is outside the spectrum. Also, helping someone who is in need, no matter how dire your situation is, can provide you with a new perspective.

Limit bad news

The impact of any bad news increases tenfold if we keep hearing the same thing repeatedly. Instead, it is better to limit the intake of bad news. There is no need to hear the same news from ten different people or on social media platforms. Limiting the intake will help you absorb the news better and faster.

Get rest and sleep

It is difficult to get rest or sleep when the times are hard and stressful. But it is important to reenergize during these times. Sleeping will help in restarting the body and mind and you will be able to think better. Thus, to help you fall asleep, you can resort to white noise and avoid taking any gadgets to bed.

Exercise

To channelize your tensions and emotions, exercising is always a good option. It can also help you fall asleep as it can tire your body out. Exercising can help you clear your mind as well as help you think clearly about what steps you need to take. Exercising doesn’t only mean going to the gym but just walking around a park or even playing a sport.

Reflect

Reflecting on yourself is very important. Reflecting doesn’t mean in self-pity, but to look at the actions you have had taken in the past. Thus, by reflecting on yourself you will be able to take better steps and decisions for your future and therefore be ready for something which can go wrong.

Having support during tough times is very important. The above steps can help you stay strong during these times. But, if you feel like you require outside help, then you should not hesitate to approach a psychologist or a counsellor.

Dr. Prerna Kohli Member since May 19, 2020

Dr. Prerna Kohli is a clinical psychologist, who practices logotherapy. A published author, she has received multiple honours, including the 100 Women Achievers Award by the Honourable President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee. In her capacity as an adviser to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and a member of Niti Aayog, she works towards making the workplace safer for women and the country for children. Dr. Kohli has also been a member of the POSH committee for the Press Information Bureau of India, a volunteer therapist at Tihar Jail, and a life skills coach at the Gurgaon and Aligarh prisons. She is frequently interviewed on radio, TV, and by print media to discuss contemporary mental health issues. She has previously worked with the Censor Board of India to give a psychologist’s perspective on the media. A prolific writer, Dr. Kohli, is a keynote speaker at World Depression Conferences across the globe. You can follow her work on www.drprernakohli.in.