Coping with Adversity
Coping with adversity can be challenging because life may seem tougher than in the past.
In today’s world building resilience while coping with adversity is more important than ever before. The pandemic gave up a new level of adversity most of us have never faced before. Isolation, change, and high levels of uncertainty, put a spotlight on the ways people were coping with adversity.
Coping with Adversity – 20 Ways
Pay attention to your attitude
- During the pandemic, fear and confusion sometimes bought out people’s less than a compassionate side.
- Isolation and the lack of control caused some people to become angry and lash out at those around them.
- Kindness and compassion represent positive energy and if you practice these you will get them in return.
Cultivate a support system
- The pandemic taught some of us that we need that social connection.
- So cultivating a strong support system is crucial when coping with adversity.
- Find people you can trust to share your feelings with, and that will support you when you’re going through difficult times.
Practice mindfulness and self-care
- On a positive note, the pandemic gave us the opportunity to connect with ourselves.
- Without all the noise, some of us discover things about our lives when wanted to change.
- Also, how to take care of ourselves during difficult times.
Find ways to manage stress daily
- Long walks are a great way to clear your head.
- Stretching helps you get closer to your inner self as you feel your body moving and bending in different directions.
- Journaling helps to get emotions out of our bodies and on the page where can see what is really bothering us.
Connect with nature
- Being outside helps clear your head especially if you are feeling stuck.
- Ideas may start to flow as you see all the beauty that surrounds you.
- Also, exercise is never a bad thing.
Pursue hobbies and interests
- Finding a fun way to spend your leisure time keeps you excited about life.
- Life is about constant learning so starting something you’ve never tried before will help you grow.
Limit exposure to negative news and information
- The world is full of negativity but also positivity.
- The news mostly focuses on the negative things happening locally and around the world.
- So, you may want to limit your consumption, and avoid holding long conversations about negative things.
Practice gratitude and focus on the positive
- Even when you’re coping with adversity there are still many things to be grateful for.
- If you can find at least one thing to be grateful for, and hold onto that, it will help you through a challenging time.
- Focusing on what is positive in your life, or even in a moment, gives you the courage to push through and keep going.
Challenge Yourself
- Challenging yourself causes you to stretch your comfort zone.
- Step out and do something that you would not ordinarily do.
- Our minds can go to a negative place when we do something new, so we shy away from trying it.
- It is only when you experience new things that the world around you opens and allows something new to enter your life.
- There are risks involved in everything you do, but if do not take risks, how will you grow?
- Want to live in a different city?
- Want to zip line in Costa Rica
- Want to travel the world for six months?
- Want to buy a home?
Reflect on past experiences and learn from them
- Don’t live in the past explore it, figure out the decisions that led to the life you’re currently living.
- If you don’t take this journey and decide to make different choices, your life will not change.
Learn to plan
- Planning requires you to decide what you want and how to get it.
- You must start from where you are, for example, if you currently earn $3000 per month, the next step could be $6000.
- Now, how will you get there? This is where the planning happens, what are your options?
- If you don’t plan things, you won’t accomplish anything.
- Get a higher-paying job
- Get two jobs
- Start a side hustle – eBay, Etsy, Youtube, Lyft, etc.
Seek help and support when needed
- This is the most important one on this list.
- Too often people keep their struggles to themselves because they do not want to burden others.
- But the people who love you want to support you, and help you through rough times.
Develop a growth mindset
- Growth is all about learning about yourself, the world around you, and what opportunities can give you a better life.
Foster positive relationships with friends and family
- High levels of dysfunction can cause a lot of drama in families.
- Overcoming disagreements may be hard because someone has to take the first step in repairing broken relationships.
Manage stress through relaxation techniques
- Breathing and stretching will help you relieve stress and connect with your body.
- Managing stress is important for your health and overall well-being.
Find meaning and purpose in adversity
- Everyone experiences difficult situations, but coping with adversity does not mean you just deal with it.
- Instead, it means you learn how to get out of it and thrive.
- The experience may have taught you something you needed to learn.
Practice self-compassion
- When you feel guilty about your past actions or decisions, there are ways you can unconsciously punish yourself.
- You don’t get regular check-ups
- You don’t feel you deserve love, so you wear old clothing or don’t take care of your hair/skin.
- You eat poorly, don’t exercise, or watch as your body becomes weak and frail.
- You have poor money management which creates a lot of pain and suffering in your life.
- When you feel guilty about your past actions or decisions, there are ways you can unconsciously punish yourself.
Embrace change and uncertainty
- You may be a person who does not like change, but it will happen eventually this is why you should embrace it.
- Change and uncertainty can bring positive surprises to your life.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle through diet and sleep
- Do not neglect the mirror, photos, or scale because they give you an honest snapshot of who you are at the moment.
- If you try to avoid looking at yourself, you will miss the opportunity to start making healthier changes.
- Do you know if you are prediabetic or have diabetes? According to cdc.gov, 10.8% of adults have prediabetes and 11.3% have diabetes. 1 in 5 people do not know they have it.
- Do you read the labels of the food you buy?
- A lot of packaged food is not real food, they are made up of chemicals, dyes, and other non-recognizable things.
Seek professional support if necessary.
- If you are struggling with mental health issues, please do not ignore them.
- You have to love yourself enough to seek help when you need it.
- There should not be shame or embarrassment when it comes to your well-being.
Coping with adversity is a part of life so you have to know how to manage it and grow from it.
