It’s normal to go through times when the world feels like it’s working against you. When you feel blocked or disappointed with every turn. When it all feels too hard, here’s some ideas that may help.
Write
Psychologists from the University of California have shown that writing about your feelings for 20 minutes a day can help the brain overcome emotional upsets and leave you feeling happier. “Writing seems to help the brain regulate emotion unintentionally. Whether it’s writing things down in a diary, writing bad poetry, or making up song lyrics that should never be played on the radio, it seems to help people emotionally,” says Dr Lieberman, a psychologist at the University of California.
Persist
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts,” said Winston Churchill (1874-1965).
Over thirty years ago Professor of Psychology Carol Dweck became interested in attitudes about failure. She noticed that some people bounced back easier than others, and some people were devastated by the smallest setback. Dr Dweck’s research led her to coin the terms fixed mindset and growth mindset. Growth mindset is defined as a belief that construes intelligence as malleable and improvable. People with growth mindset are likely to learn by a mastery approach, embrace challenges and put in effort to learn. For instance, growth-minded individuals perceive task setbacks as a necessary part of the learning process and they “bounce back” by increasing their motivational effort. Learners with growth mindset tend to embrace lifelong learning and the joy of incremental personal growth. In addition, they do not see their intelligence or personality as fixed traits. They will mobilize their learning resources without being defeated by the threat of failure. Everyone has the ability to cultivate a growth mindset, and reading Dweck’s book, Mindset, is a good place to start.
Talk
Life is always full of challenges but there may be times when they feel more than you can handle. Don’t be afraid to seek professional advice if you are struggling to cope. Psychologists and counselors can attend to your mental health like a mechanic attends to your car, with expert skill and knowledge.
Connect
When you are feeling low it can be difficult to maintain close connections with friends and family. But according to BeyondBlue connections matter, as strong ties with family, friends and the community provide people with happiness, security, support and a sense of purpose. BeyondBlue offer a free resource on how to build connections, including ways to start a conversation about the tough times you’re going through.
