There are times in life when people feel incredibly lost and do not know where to turn. Some people may be facing problems with unemployment, troubles in their relationships with others, or with academic and career related problems. There are times when it is unclear what the future may appear to hold. This idea of “feeling lost” may result in stress or severe depression. Here are some tips on how to deal with these problems.

1. Focus on what you love

Everyone has their own hobbies that they are passionate about. If you take time to build upon your hobbies, there will be more room for ideas to grow. For example, you can be very passionate about singing, dancing, traveling, knitting, painting, or riding your bike. If these are hobbies that you have excelled in, you may decide to participate in arts related competitions, traveling opportunities, or even a 5K bike marathon. Having hobbies and using those hobbies as a direction for growth will allow you to be successful in life and have the happiness and prosperity you have always wanted. If you have a goal in life, find out ways to achieve that goal and do not step back from shining.

2. Make a Plan B

Sometimes when things go wrong and not as planned, we tend to blame ourselves rather than assessing the situation and seeing how to improve our lives. When one career option goes wrong, it does not mean that there are no other routes or options we can take. As the saying goes, if one door closes there are thousands of other doors that will open. If you are someone who has wanted to do Pre-Med for a long time but that plan has failed you, try focusing on a different path that is slightly related to the one you had in mind; try public health. If you did not get into your dream school, apply to other safety schools and just focus on getting good grades and internships. If you did not get the job you wanted for the summer, try networking to find a job that would still pay well or be adequate. Trying is better than not doing anything.

3. Make a list of all of the things you wish to accomplish

At times we may lose sight of our path and have no idea how we will go on in life. In this case, it is always good to make a list of goals that you wish to fulfill. These do not have to be career related. Your goals could include building a home for your mother, donating $1,000 to a charity, building a home in Spain, going on a trip to Fiji, or even getting married and having a family. If these are your goals, write them down and remind yourself that you need to accomplish them. Under these goals, bullet point ways in which you feel that you can accomplish them. Remember: goals may take years to accomplish especially if they are long term; these kind of dreams do not happen overnight.

4. Talk to other people and rekindle a support system

There are instances in which we feel that we are all alone in the world and do not have ways to seek help when things do not go as planned. There are about seven billion people in this world, and there are several ways that we can seek help. If you are having health, career, or any other problems, there are many online forums to reach out to, free health clinics, and free services that you can go to. There are networking opportunities available for each goal that you wish to accomplish; you just have to do the searching.

5. Go out into the world

If you do not even have a foundation for what you wish to accomplish in life or how you wish to accomplish things, it may be a good idea to go out into the world and find people or places that intrigue you. One day you could be sitting in a coffee shop when you find that you have an idea for a brilliant invention or novel you can write. You could be sitting under a tree and may create an award-winning poem. You could be strolling through a park and begin playing basketball to fulfill your health goals. You could even meet your soulmate when you travel around. In all of these occasions in which you are going out into the world, just remember to be open-minded and patient. This way you can try to find what you have been looking for, when all this time you have been lost.