Tips for Getting Through Difficult Days

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Many people experience difficult days for whatever reason. Some may have a chronic illness, others may have unrelenting neuropathic pain, some may have lost a loved one or their job, and others may have lost hope. Life can throw curve balls at anyone at any time; but it is important to remember, in the words of Zig Ziglar, ‘Getting knocked down in life is a given, but getting back up is a choice.’

Whatever the reason for a difficult day, you can get through it better if you have a difficult day strategy in place ahead of time. One of the best ways to ease a tough day is to plan for it when you are having a good day. It’s much harder to think about coping well when you are already struggling.

So if you want to move forward in life, here are some tips.

Go For a Walk

When faced with a difficult day, one of the ways to perk up is to go for a walk. Get off the couch and get moving. Once the fresh air hits your face, you will instantly feel rejuvenated. Walking is a great distraction from the hassles of everyday life but it also has many other benefits; it will help clear your mind and give you the energy to face the day-to-day tasks.

Open a Book

Reading is one of the best ways to ease the stress on your mind. But the key is to pick a book that you like. Once you become engrossed with the book, you will stop worrying about what is happening around you.

Work Out

If you have been neglecting physical activity, this is the perfect time to restart it. A workout at the gym is an excellent way to forget the constant everyday worries. Perform an activity you like and you will not only feel good physically but will have mental clarity and better concentration.

Make a Diary

When you develop stress and start to worry, it is not uncommon to develop confusion and fail to accomplish everyday things in life. So make a diary every night and plan out the next day. To make sure your day is productive, write down what you have to do for the rest of the day. By making a diary, you will bring back structure into your life and this will help ease the tension

Learn to De-Stress

Chronic ongoing stress can lead to anxiety, bizarre thoughts, abnormal behavior, and above all, even depression. To de-stress yourself, start practicing yoga, tai chi, deep breathing exercise, meditation, or praying. The key is to do something that you feel comfortable with. All these activities can lower your stress, refresh your mind, and relieve physical pain.

Write it Down

One great way to relieve the inner turmoil is to just let it out on paper. Write down everything that has been bothering you and how it is affecting your life. Later you can burn all the paper and you will instantly feel a sense of relief. The great thing about writing it on paper is that, except for your fingers, no one feels the agony or pain.

Do Something Different

Sometimes it helps to be spontaneous and do something different. Go to a movie or bowling, call up your best friend and take her out to dinner, or go volunteer at the local food bank or the nursing home. Doing something different gives you immense satisfaction and make you realize how much better off your life is having done it.

Cook a Nice Meal

Take a little extra time and care to make something special, like a healthy dish that you have been wanting to try for a long time. Find a new recipe! Your mind will be distracted and you’ll feel satisfied after accomplishing something that makes you feel good and is good for you.

Call Family

When you are down, one voice that is bound to cheer you up is your mum or dad, or other family member or friend that you love but haven’t connected with in a while. So make a call, or better still, go visit them if they are nearby. Take some flowers to them or bring along a new healthy dish you’ve recently discovered and some fresh fruit to share. Keep a list of people who can get you through a difficult day. But don’t concentrate on symptoms, talk about other topics you enjoy to shift your attention elsewhere.

Make a Cup of Coffee or Tea

A nice hot beverage is bound to make you smile. Enjoy it in a new place, like sitting under a tree canopy, in your garden, or maybe poolside at your apartment complex. It will be a nice break from the mundane things of everyday life to enjoy your beverage in refreshing surroundings.

Bottom Line

We live in a very fast-paced world where everyone is rushing, pushing, and shoving for whatever reason. There is stress at work and at the home and this is often made worse when one has an illness, chronic pain, cancer, loss of a job, or is all alone. When things are down and there is no one to turn to, create your own sunshine.