How to Cope with Life's Ups & Downs
"Some events in our life would always be beyond our control, but we can control the way we see those events and grow from them."
Life is full of ups and downs. We experience daily life challenges and sometimes traumatizing experiences – like when a loved one passes on. Although these experiences bring up strong emotions, we may still be able to cope over time with these life-altering situations when we build resilience.
Resilience implies bouncing back from difficult experiences and growing from them. When we are resilient we look out for the controllable aspects of our life that we can grow with. According to the experts at the American Psychology Association – resilience isn’t necessarily a personality trait that only some people possess. They say that it involves behaviors, thoughts, and actions that anyone could learn and develop.
Increasing your resilience requires time and intentionality. Four components – connection, wellness, healthy thinking, and meaning – can help us cope and learn from traumatic experiences. We would benefit greatly if we place priority on healthy relationships.
Connection:
If we can find empathetic and understanding people, we might get a sense that we’re not alone. They might validate our feelings, which would help us in becoming more resilient. When traumatic events occur we should resist the feeling of isolation and try to prioritize connecting with people who genuinely care about us.
Wellness:
Sleep, hygiene, proper nutrition, and a positive lifestyle are all essential to building our resilience. Mindfulness, yoga, and other spiritual practices like prayer or meditation can also be helpful in building connections and restoring hope.
Meaning:
Giving our time for a worthy cause, volunteering, or just supporting a friend in their time of need can give us a sense of purpose and help us in restoring our self-worth. Afterward, we should try to take action toward our goals. Although we might have problems in life, we should also try to find solutions to them. Problems offer an opportunity for self-discovery.
Healthy thinking:
Finally, we should endeavor to keep our thoughts healthy and in perspective. When we experience traumatic events our minds would often drift into irrational and catastrophic thinking patterns. So we must learn to be more conscious about the thoughts we accommodate to avoid getting consumed and overwhelmed with negativity. Some events in our life would always be beyond our control, but we can control the way we see those events and grow from them.
Thank You