Holding On When Life Spirals Out of Control

Sometimes it’s those things that come at us out of left field.

Sometimes it’s a waiting game in a difficult and precarious situation.

Sometimes it’s tough stuff remaining tough or getting worse.

Sometimes we find ourselves on unexpected shaky ground.

Whatever it is, how do we hang on when we come face-to-face with life’s hard times?

10 things to help us hold on tight:

1. Close your eyes and breathe.  Be mindful that you have the breath to keep you grounded.  Do this as often as you think of it throughout the day.  Even a few seconds can bring you back from a highly emotional and charged state.
2. Call that special someone to regurgitate it all out – someone who can listen and hold your pain.  Connecting can be grounding and letting it out is lightening.
3. Let the tears flow.  It is not weakening, it is simply a normal and healthy release of emotion.  It gives us room to go on.
4. Maintain a ritual, whatever that may be for you; something that connects you to life.
5.  Do something where you feel in control.
6. Go inward and try to hear your own voice.   It can be a voice of pain and hopelessness.  Listen to it and be gentle with it.  It is you crying out.  Support it as you would with a friend crying out.  It needs acknowledgement to go on.
7. Engage in a healthy distraction.  We need shut-out and shut-down periods to come back to the situation at hand.
8. Pray.  There is something beyond what we see and feel.  Faith can go a long way.
9. Hope is a powerful force.  Miracles do happen.  And if not, there is rebuilding to do and ‘new goods’ to come.
10. Gratitude – hone in on at least 3 things to be grateful for.

Sometimes hanging on seems like a lot of work and we feel as though we don’t have the strength or ability to go on.  We need to allow ourselves the slump down period and then call out our inner troops.  They’re there.  Dig deep and carry on.

 

What do you find when you dig deep?  Some inner strength you never knew you had??

Thanks for stopping by.