“We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey” - Kenji Miyazawa
We all go through rough patches, setbacks, tough times, hardships, hit rock bottom, whatever you want to call it; it’s a part of life. How we deal with these "tragedies" and manage them has a lot to do with our strength, perseverance, and resilience. The reality is, as cheesy as it sounds, being able to get through hard times helps us grow and develop as people.
In the moment, it's hard to see what good could possibly come out of this, but by doing it you are proving to yourself just how strong and powerful you really are.
1. Pain is temporary
Whether it’s feeling left out, a breakup, a big change in your life, anxiety or anything that’s getting you down, the pain does not last forever. In the moment it can feel as if whatever it is will never leave you alone.
It’s important to remember this because how you are feeling right now is temporary. Tell yourself that you can get through this, as hard as it maybe you will push through.
2. Be kind to yourself
Stop being so hard on yourself! Stop wondering why you’re upset or anxious and just ride the wave of your emotions. It is okay to be sad or worried or angry. Treat yourself to things you like. It's important to go out and make an effort to get involved and do things, but it is also important to take time for yourself.
Stay in with friends, watch movies, go on long drives or walks, eat your favorite foods, explore new places, exercise, play, and enjoy.
3. You are not alone in this
Tell people what you are going through. Find people going through the same thing. Whatever it is there are tons of people that are going through or have gone through it too. Whether it’s a support group, your friends or family. Keeping it to yourself will only make it worse.
It will feel as if you are the only one or maybe as if you are even crazy, finding people who can relate can get you through a lot. It won’t only help you but also other people by showing them that they aren’t alone either.
4. It’s ok to ask for help
I have had severe anxiety since I was 9 years old. Last year, my freshman year of college, it became worse than it ever has been. I woke up with it every morning and went to bed with it every night. I counted the days till I could go home, and I woke up every day thinking that I just couldn’t do this anymore. It was time to finally accept that this isn’t what life should be like, so I took action.
I signed up for a workshop, met with a lot of counselors to find the right one, which is difficult but worth the effort, and made sure I was physically healthy. However, it wasn’t until summer when I really started to begin to heal. Every week I did very intensive therapy to work on my anxiety; it was hard but extremely worth it.
As much as I wanted to do it myself, I would never be as good as I am today if I didn’t find someone who knew how to help me.
5. You can do this
Just when you think you can’t, you’re going to prove to yourself that you can. We have all been there. Getting through it and looking back at how far you’ve come and being able to say, “I did it” is one of the greatest feelings.
Great things take time so be patient and stay positive, your pain will become power, and you will be unstoppable.