Life isn’t always the easiest thing in the world. There can be times when life gets HARD and we we are finding the older we get the more responsibilities we have! We aren’t always sure where we’re going, and when things just generally aren’t as straightforward as they could be.
But it’s always important to remember that there are things you can do to help yourself stay on top of things. Below, we want to give you a few tips that will help you stay in control no matter how hectic things seem to be.
Trust Yourself
People commonly find themselves in stressful situations because they think they’re in the drowning in the deep end. While there are times when we do find ourselves in situations that are challenging, we always try to tell ourselves we are capable and we can navigate anything that comes our way and so can you! Sometimes, it’s only once we’re through the other side that we see that we navigated a tricky situation well. Believe that you can do it from the first step!
Take Care of the Basics
One of the best ways to stay in control of everything is to take a “bottom-up” approach, rather than a “top-down” approach. The latter would be thinking that if you could just get the right job, friends, partner, or whatever else, then you’ll be set. The “bottom-up” approach is focusing on getting all the basics of life in order, and then naturally progressing to the bigger stuff. If you’re looking after your body, exercising, eating well, and all-round doing your best, then you’ll find it much easier to manage whatever comes your way.
Understand Your Pressure Points
Doesn’t it sometimes feel like you’re generally in charge of things, but then something happens, and before you know it, it feels like the weight of the world has come crumbling down upon you? What might have happened here isn’t that your situation became any more difficult, it’s just that there have been one or two triggers that tipped you over the edge (we have all been there).
It’s always a good idea to understand your pressure points so that you can identify them when they arrive. If there’s one thing that really frustrates you, you can take steps to avoid those things, or at least be aware that you’ll have a spike in stress or anger afterwards. The awareness might just stop you from following that path towards an ugly conclusion.
Working Out
We briefly touched upon exercise above, but really, it’s something that deserves its own special mention. There are so many benefits to working up a sweat. While being fit and healthy will always make you feel better about yourself, two of the other, more underrated aspects of working out is that it gives your brain a boost (makes you happier) and it gives you more energy. You’ll be better equipped to handle the more stressful aspects of life if you have plenty of energy and you’re feeling positive and happy.
Well Rested
It’s much more difficult to do anything when you’re not tired. You’ll work less effectively, you’ll be less inclined to cook healthy meals, and you’ll be more emotionally volatile. As such, ensuring you’re consistently getting a great night’s sleep is imperative. There’s been a sharp increase in sleep-related issues in recent years, due us all spending so much time on our mobiles.
If you’re finding it difficult to hit the hay at night, try putting your phone away, you should ideally avoid its use for up to two hours before sleeping. Once you’ve got your sleeping schedule back in sync, you’ll find it much easier to do everything that you need to do.
Handling Unexpected Situations
You never know what life is going to throw at you. Everything could be going just fine, but then, from nowhere, something comes along that disrupts your life. More often than not, it’s financial related. It takes a lot of effort to maintain a healthy financial situation, yet most of us are only stable for our current lifestyles — if we have an unexpected expense, then we could find that we’re in financial difficulties. It’s important to remember that there are always options, though. You might have a friend you can borrow money from, or you make the most of online payday loans. It can feel a little daunting knowing that you’re facing a difficult financial spell; take a look at all of your options, and you’ll find that things aren’t so bad after all.
Calm Your Mind
Unless you’re actively taking steps to protect yourself from the effects of modern life, then it’s possible that you’ll end up getting caught up in its web. This is especially true if you live in a city where the pace of life can be pretty fast. Perhaps the best, most famous way to protect yourself from this pace of life is to begin meditating. It’s easy to get started and has an impact almost instantly. Aside from many other benefits, you’ll find that you can put a gap between you and your emotions, which makes handling those tougher days all the more straightforward.
Accept Help and Support
Some people have an overly individualistic approach to life. They think that it’s them against the world, but it’s much better to have a more cooperative attitude. Life is all about giving and taking. When you’re going through a rough period and need some help and support, then accept it. It’s much easier to go through the difficult times when you have people around you!
Learn From Your Mistakes
Finally, remember that you’re never going to get everything right at the first time of asking. Just learn from life, and in particular your mistakes, and you’ll know better for next time.