When life smacks you hard in the face, leaving you legitimately wondering if you’re going through a quarter-ish-life crisis, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Whether you’re facing financial burdens on a ramen noodle budget or a broken heart not even chocolate can mend, bad things happen out of no where all the time. But the question is: how do you overcome them as a better you?
Let’s face it, it’s easy to lose sight of yourself when the walls start to cave in, but the way you deal with those shortcomings reflects your character, and every struggle you’re faced with provides you with a gift of clarity. Messes, both big and small, are inevitable. However, in any moment, you have a choice. You can meet challenges as the narrow perception of personality or as the infinite expansiveness of spirit.
Recognizing the beauty life has to offer allows you to stop judging situations as good or bad, and simply be with what is. And in that space of acceptance, you can experience what you need while expanding into more compassion, gratitude, and self-love. (Photo via @maddyhaller)
Here’s your step-by-step guide to help sort through the messiness and make it out alive!
Emotionally Prepare— Practicing mindfulness, staying in the present moment, and learning meditation can help to stabilize your life in tremendous ways. And while it’s nearly impossible to predict the devastation of every situation, building a life full of good friends and aspirations can help to cushion in times of crisis.
Press Pause— Good decisions rarely happen on impulse, unless you’re talking about the shoes you bought on your lunch break last week. Let’s be real, in the heat of the moment you just can’t think straight, and research shows that intense emotions get in the way of problem-solving and logical decision making. So the first thing to do, no matter the situation, is slow down. Take a deep breath and realize you’re not thinking clearly before you make any rash decisions. When the time eventually comes to think bigger, having a clear sense of your values or purpose in life will help to figure out what’s next. (Photo via @mmoor)
Process— After acknowledgement comes processing, and although we’re all guilty of overanalyzing situations, replaying them in our minds, and painfully revisiting experiences— obsessing over the past has a way of consuming happiness and slowing the coping process. So in this stage, focus on what is happening without letting it consume you.
Back To The Future— It’s eye-roll inducing, but try to see the possibilities for change and personal growth through the sadness and flux of your current situation. When you’re in your bag, it’s important to remember that we’re always shifting one way or another and THAT’S OK. Emotions come and go; relationships come and go; time comes and it’s gone. But one thing that sticks throughout it all is yourself, and you can’t give up on her. (Photo via @lovelyykelly)
Life is fragile. Never skip the chance of showing someone you give a shit, pass on an I love you, and take care of yourself when you need it the most—be the best you, for yourself.
How do you find self-care in the times of stress? Let us know your tips in the comments below!
