Six Tips to Keep You Going Through Challenging Times

By Andy Kriege YSN

We all have been through challenging times before. It’s those times when everything around seems to be in a state of constant chaos. We are certainly all there now.

In these challenging situations, maintaining a good mindset is probably the most important thing you can do. It will allow you to stay focused on things you can control, avoid pointless pity, persist through the hardship, and implement solutions that eventually help turn the situation around.

Here are six things to keep in mind in order to stay positive and be resilient. By keeping these six ideas in the forefront, they will do wonders for your emotional state and your capacity to overcome the challenges we are all facing.

1. Even Bad Times End

Everything ends. Whether it’s good or bad, it doesn’t last forever. When a situation is as sobering as the current crisis, it may seem as if it will never end. Our minds tend to expand negative events as they happen and so it appears as if they’ve been going on for a lot longer than they really have.

Nevertheless, even the worst kind of situations end at some point. One thing is always certain: things will change.  Reflecting back, tough times never seem as bad in the rearview mirror as they did through the windshield.

2. You’ve Overcome Challenges Before

It is good to reflect back on other times of crisis you have gone through and successfully overcame. Most of us can remember the Great Recession, the one in the early 2000s, and the recessions and market crashes of the 1980s. We survived them all.

When you reflect back on these events, it acts as a reminder of your ability to handle challenges and overcome them. It boosts your sense of self-confidence and it eliminates the sense of helplessness. This attitude will motivate you to take action and rise above the situation.

3. Know that You are Not Alone. It’s Happening to Everybody

When facing a crisis like the current one, we tend to think, “Why me?”

However, with a bit of self-reflection, you’ll quickly realize you’re not in this alone. What’s true is that you’re hyper-aware of your troubles because they’re, you know, yours. But you’re not nearly as aware of other people’s troubles, which makes it seem like they are better off than you. This is likely not true. So remember that most of what you are experiencing is being felt by just about everyone.

4. It’s a Learning Experience

It is often said in the personal development world that there is no failure, only feedback. When going through tough times in life though, we tend to forget this. We see times like this as lost time or failed times. Instead we should view these periods as times to reflect on what we can do now to improve our situations, as well as what we can do in the future.

Most learning in life comes from experience. The best thing we can do is try to learn from all of our experiences, both good and bad.

5. Reach Out — Help is Available

When going through tough times, it’s a good idea to remember that there are people and resources in the group that can help you. Check out this new, dedicated section on YSN.

The BrandSource staff is here to support you in any way we can. Please reach out for direction. Your fellow members are also a fantastic support system. Please reach out to them and make yourself available to the extended BrandSource family for support as well.

Just knowing help is available helps to embolden us all and bolsters our ability to persevere through the toughest of times.

6. We All Have Much to Be Grateful For

There is no sugarcoating the fact that these are indeed trying times. Undoubtedly our current situation is challenging. However, if you stop to really think about it, there are still lots of things in your life to be grateful for. Many are in my children’s prayers every night: the roof over our heads, the food in our tummies, and the hope of tomorrow, just to name a few.

When going through tough times in life, think about some of your blessings and begin noticing all the things to be grateful for. It will completely change your perspective. You’ll realize that despite all the current hardships, life is precious and is worth appreciating every day!Bottom of Form

BrandSource is a unit of YSN publisher AVB Inc.

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