Throughout life, you are bound to have many moments where you'll hit a slump. Whether things just aren't going your way, you had a break-up, friend/family drama, etc. there will be points where you feel like you've hit rock bottom. The important thing is to avoid giving up. Even though it seems like there's no way out, I promise you it will get better. Unfortunately, change does not happen overnight. We crave immediate results; however, such is not life. It is so important not to give up and to keep striving to achieve your own improvements. Here are some things you can do to try and get back on your feet:
1. Get to know yourself
The hardest thing to do in life is to navigate difficult times without truly knowing yourself. In times of trouble, it is easy to rely on other people and the wonderful advice they may give. But here's the problem: they aren't you. Although they may have the best intentions, they have not lived your life nor could understand what is really best for you. The greatest thing you can do for yourself is to actually get in touch with your inner-self: take time alone to discover what helps you thrive, what makes you you. Because you are a wonderful, unique, and amazing individual. Appreciate your quirks and individuality!
2. Drop the toxins
One of the hardest things in life is saying goodbye to the people you have become close to; although, I'm sure all of us have that one friend who makes jokes about us that aren't all that funny and are just plain hurtful. If you eliminate the people in your life causing you stress, putting you down through backhanded statements or are just attention seekers, you will start to discover how much easier it is to breathe and be happy. It's never OK to let your "friends" make you feel ashamed to be you.
3. Go for a walk
Get yourself up and just walk. Notice the little things around you that maybe you didn't before. Push yourself to go on a little adventure around your neighborhood, town or local park. Either way, take the time you need to get out of your house, dorm, apartment, etc., and clear your head. You might notice that you'll actually start to think a little more clearly and enjoy the change of location.
4. Embrace a hobby
If anything it will give you something to do that helps you relax, excites you and/or brightens your mood. A common trend is adult coloring books, which I would highly recommend. You don't need to be an art major to have some fun and channel your inner-child and creativity. It's an excellent stress reliever that I, for one, have found very helpful when I get too stressed studying and need a break. Some other activities I engage in to when I'm not doing well would be: bike riding, painting, knitting and reading my favorite books.
5. Music can either break you or build you up: Be careful!
Music is a beautiful thing that many use to define themselves or use it as a source of self expression. If you're going through a rough time, the worst thing you can do is feed the demon and listen to music that makes you a million times worse. You know what I'm talking about! We all have that friend during a post breakup period listening to songs about unfaithful partners and loneliness, and we see them spiral out more. Music is powerful — it is something that unites us and also can easily affect our moods. Branch out of your normal genre and make a playlist of songs that make you feel hopeful, or inspired, or that gives you the strength to just keep moving. The worst possible thing to do is isolate yourself in songs that will keep you down or make you feel worse.
6. Vent
By all means, find someone you trust and let it all out. Scream it, yell it or whisper it, whatever it takes, get it out of your system. It is so hard to define every little thing that we're feeling but it is so vital to actually verbalize it so it's not just streaming through your mind 24/7. You'd be surprised how many people out there are willing to just listen and lend an ear, as well as how great it feels to finally tell someone what you've been thinking or feeling. It is extremely important to find the right person and not someone who will make you feel worse for feeling what you're feeling. Unfortunately not everyone is cut out to be a good supportive friend.
7. Keep a journal
Very similar to No. 6, this is another way to get the negative emotions out of your system. Personally, journaling helped during some situations and not others. It really depends on the methods that will help you. Some people could write for hours and fill up a notebook of all the things keeping them down, others may not even fill up half a page. This is just a more private way to cope and release some of that bad energy weighing you down. It's also up to you how regularly you exercise this method: you could do it daily, weekly or just when you really feel like you can't talk to anyone else but you can't focus without "venting" a little bit, even to yourself.
8. Let it out
Whoever said you're weak if you cry is a moron. Don't ever listen to someone who tries to make you suppress your natural reactions and emotions. Sometimes all you really need is a good cry. By pushing down and internalizing all the things your struggling with, eventually you will just break down. Let this happen. It is natural and healthy to express what you're feeling. So grab some tissues and maybe a furry friend if you have one, and just let yourself feel what you're feeling and let it out.
9. Stop beating yourself up
It is so easy to blame ourselves for everything and be hypercritical of every little thing we do wrong. People who have been abused as children or have been in abusive or controlling relationships are more likely to take the blame and internally tear themselves down for the rest of their lives. Whether or not that is you doesn't matter, either way you have to understand something very simplistic: it's OK. It is OK to mess up, it is OK that you made a mistake. Learn from it. Say you're sorry if you hurt someone. But overall, it does not define you. You are more than your mistakes, you are more than your past. Learn to forgive yourself. Learn to love yourself. Take the steps you need to to move forward.
10. Talk to a professional
There has always been a dumb stigma that it's embarrassing or you're weak or it doesn't work to talk to a professional. Guess what: they went through years of schooling to try their best to help you with your problems, it couldn't hurt to just give it a chance. It does not work for everyone. That being said it should not be an excuse to not at least try it. The key is going there with an open mind that it might work, and being brave enough to actually talk about what is bothering you. Some problems might be that you went to the wrong person and you didn't feel a connection of it being someone you could really talk to, or they may have led the conversation the whole time, or even they gave you really crappy advice. If this is the case by all means go to another person. Your gut will tell you if the person you're going to is actually going to help rather than hurt your progress. No matter what, there is never any shame in trying to get better and looking to a professional for help. If anything you're incredibly smart to know that, "Hey maybe this time I can't do it on my own, but I don't want to give up so I'll try going to someone who's a little more experienced at this than I am."
