How to Survive Difficult Times

When asking the question "how do you get through a difficult time?", a common response would be: "Buy a bottle of whisky and forget about everything."

The fact is that life has become difficult for a lot of people and most of us cling onto the illusion that we either do not deserve what has been thrown our way, or that we are not responsible for it.

We need to recognise that there are situations that we do not have to take responsibility for and there are situations where we deserve more, but the fact is that once the situation is present we still need to deal with it.

Recognising some of the different routes we take:

• Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs

• Self-medicating by working too long hours

• Self-medicating by putting yourself through extreme exercising

• Escapism by sleeping or reading

• Escapism by pouring yourself into humanitarian work

• Escapism by losing yourself in some kind of artistic project

• Escapism by ignoring the situation and only focussing on exciting and enjoyable things to do

• Lashing out at everything and everybody in order to channel your anger or pain

• Concentrating on projects that you can be the winner of

• Concentrating on the facts and how to plan properly in order to prevent this from happening again

The truth is: we all struggle during difficult times. Some of us will come out stronger and more prepared and for some of us the burden might be too much.

If one looks at some of the possible routes we take to get through difficult times, we realise that some of these are not very healthy methods for dealing with problems and that we don’t give ourselves the opportunity to be conscious enough to learn from them.

Helpful tips when going through a difficult time/situation:

• Recognise your style: ask yourself if this is a healthy way of dealing with a bad situation/problem

• Accept that in order to get stronger we need to be exposed to difficult situations and problems

• Accept that bad things happen to everybody

• Accept that life is a journey that will take you on paths of happiness, but also along slippery roads

• Accept the fact that you are only seeing life through a small window and that this possible bad time does not have to define your whole life

• Accept that you will have to choose which route you are going take through this process: as doing nothing about it or going through it in an unconscious state will be fruitless

• Know when to get help from friends, family or experts

I want to wish everybody in South Africa well. Our country is going through difficult times and I can only hope that you choose a healthy way of dealing with our struggles.

Rachel Platten wrote the following song and I hope that you will be able to identify with it and that it brings you renewed hope.

Staff Training offers various staff wellness and coaching options, Contact us at (021) 839 3021 for more info or drop us an email.