Mental Health: How To Overcome Whatever Life Throws At You

One thing that is always certain in life is that we all face challenges to overcome, especially with our mental health. All of our lives are full of ups and down, and things can change literally overnight – one day you’re on top of the world, then something happens to turn your life upside down. You are certainly not alone when this happens –  everyone will experience moments like this, and have to face their own set of challenges. Developing the emotional and practical tools to overcome this is a highly valuable life skill. It’s not the things you go through that define you – it’s how you deal with them. 2020’s lockdown situation has been the curveball that we all have in common this year, and yet you could face a whole range of situations in life. If you understand how best to respond, you can turn a negative situation around much quicker.

Improve your mental health & overcome life curveballs

Come Up With A Plan

Often when setbacks occur in our lives, our initial emotional response is to feel blindsided, vulnerable and ultimately powerless. There is no logic as to why this event has happened to us, so we frantically try to seek answers. After the initial shock has subsided, it’s a good idea to formulate a plan. This act can help you to regain control and a sense of agency over your own life again, as well as providing a practical roadmap to stick to. Look at the patterns in your life so far – what could you avoid doing next time? What is the best outcome to this situation? How can you move towards that? Writing something down lets you channel your thoughts and become clear on your own intentions and how you will get through this difficult time.

Ask For The Help You Need

When crisis hits it’s easy to feel alone, or even to be too proud or embarrassed to accept the help people offer. And yet the quickest route to recovery is allowing yourself to be supported when you need to. This could mean turning to a close friend as a listening ear or accepting a more practical offer of assistance when it comes. In some cases, it means calling in a professional as you may need access to specific skills, whether that be finding a specialist grief counsellor, finding a lawyer specializing in indefinite leave to remain appeals, or joining a support group to meet others going through similar situations to yourself. Making the connections we need is hugely important to our mental wellbeing, so don’t let a misguided sense of pride get in the way.

Practice Awareness

Some people try to bury unpleasant emotions thinking they might be able to heal faster. In fact, developing emotional resilience is more about having the courage to face those feelings and allow yourself to experience the emotions of a traumatic event, rather than sweeping them under the rug. Think about other times in your life where you’ve experienced something difficult and remind yourself that you will get through it. Practice awareness using mindfulness techniques and get used to acknowledging feelings, while reassuring yourself that you are still in control of how you respond.