By: Lexi Nass, LCSW

During a time when life feels hard, it can feel  overwhelming and difficult to resume your normal daily activities. If you are someone that is struggling with finding ways to cope, here are some tips to get you through these challenging times:

Show compassion: Showing compassion for yourself, for your friends, your family and strangers is important because it can help validate and normalize the feelings you are experiencing. When times feel hard, it is equally as important that you are kind to not only yourself, but also others as you never know what people may personally be going through. While you may have different views or feelings, being open minded and willing to listen to others can be a great way to show that you care.

Focus on what you have control over: While there may be many things happening in the world that feel outside of your control, try to stick to focusing on what you do have control over. How are you spending your time? Are you spending hours of the day glued to the TV watching the news or scrolling through social media pages? Take an assessment: if you are spending your time on things that create more anxiety or stress, it is important to think about how you can set boundaries with yourself. Instead, try focusing your time on doing things that help you relax, like reading a book, going for a walk, listening to music, or cooking a nourishing meal. 

Connect with others: Use this time to connect and come together with others who inspire you, empower you and validate you. Whether it’s connecting with family members, friends, or even strangers, it can be comforting to have others to go to that may share similar experiences, and to know that you are not alone. 

Get involved: Many people struggle with feeling helpless during these times. Finding ways to get involved, such as volunteering, donating goods or money to charities, or using your voice to advocate and educate, are all opportunities where you can feel helpful. Donating to charities or organizations that you value is a great opportunity to feel as if you can make a difference, no matter the amount. The world needs kindness, and any amount of time, love, or support you dedicate to helping others is worth it.

Prioritize self care: Remember, “you can’t pour from an empty cup”. In order to help others, you need to take care of yourself first. Focus on maintaining your daily routine, carving out time to call family and friends, going for long walks, , and getting sleep. Anything that you can do for yourself to feel good and empowered counts!

Utilize coping skills: During times of high stress or emotional burnout, it’s important to turn to coping mechanisms that work for you to help you feel in control and feel good. Some coping mechanisms that may be helpful are journaling, talking to a friend, going for therapy, going on a walk, meditating, or using grounding skills. 

If you are feeling overwhelmed or anxious, and would like to learn more ways on how to get through and cope with challenging times, reach out to hello@upsidertherapy.com to schedule a consultation.