(image: Bade Saba: Unsplash)
Life is often a rollercoaster of positive and negative experiences, interspersed by the normal every day that we can take for granted. But what happens when life throws a curveball that you hadn’t foreseen- health worries, financial stress or maybe a relationship breakdown? Sometimes, all of these can happen at once. Heres some ideas that can help when life gets tough.
- Don’t bottle up your feelings and keep it to yourself. Make sure you talk about your feelings with a trusted loved one, therapist or helpline. You can also journal your feelings as writing can be really healing.
2. Nourish yourself daily with healthy food and do gentle exercise. Some delicious protein, healthy carbs and a little walk, yoga or a swim can really help.
3. Treat yourself to some self care or do something creative that you love- whether its creating art, writing, vlogging. performing- if it makes you smile and distracts you from troubles then do it! I find that washing my face and using my favourite skincare products also helps with self care.
4. Scale back the difficult demands on you if you can and be kind to yourself- Don’t punish yourself or try to do too much when things are challenging. Reach for support around you especially if you are a parent, pet parent or have caring responsibilities.
5. Watch something comforting or funny- a good movie or TV show is distracting and can work wonders.
Most importantly- if you feel yourself spiralling into anxiety, depression or crisis point please reach for help from mental health services . Call NHS 111 for help in a crisis.
Coping when life gets difficult isnt easy. These are just a few tips to help. If you are facing worsening or severe mental health issues, please reach out to professionals to help you- GP, psychiatry or a therapist. In an emergency in UK, dial 999.
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