Even as children, we learn at an early age that at some point disappointment happens.
A friend tells a little lie…. Doesn’t invite us to the sleepover… or our parents insist that we keep our room clean…
Although we know that not always the case, ideally, children have the support of loved ones to help them get through adversity.
Nonetheless, as we get older, while the level of our disappointments often increases (I.e. loss of loved ones, loss of job, health conditions), the intensity of our supports do not.
Of course, some of us can find ourselves in a healthy relationship with a partner who is willing to help us get through our adversities or with friends and family members who want to reduce the impact of our suffering. But there’s something about being an adult that just means that you will have to deal with a number of things that you go through internally, no matter how many friends and family surround you.
Sometimes, when life gets overwhelming, you’ll think back on your problems as a child, and wish you had the same abilities to handle intense situations in a more hands on way.
Adulthood expectations are very different from those experienced in childhood…
Let’s review a few things that you could do, so that you can tap within when the world around you seems to be crumbling.
Don’t forget to take a deep breath. One of the biggest benefits of deep breathing is that it decreases stress and increases calm. When you become stressed or anxious, your brain releases cortisol, the “stress hormone.” By taking deep breaths, your heart rate slows, more oxygen enters our blood stream and ultimately communicates with the brain to relax. Deep breathing also increases your endorphins, also known as the “feel good” chemicals that get released within our bodies.
Remind yourself that this too shall pass. No matter how heavy your current situation is, it will come to an end. You have to focus on the fact that your circumstance is only temporary so that you won’t feel like the discomfort that you’re experiencing reflects your entire world. It does not, even if and when the magnitude of your circumstances causes your life to change. By keeping things into perspective, and understanding that the pain associated with the situation is temporary, you can have a more realistic expectation for your current life circumstances.
It will be easier to get a hold of your thoughts, if you practiced the concept of focusing on other times where you have overcome adversity. Steve Harvey, one of my favorite motivational speakers, states that we all have 100% success rate of surviving our worst days. That is evidence that should show you that you can’t get through difficulties. When going through a sad season in life, reflect back on those previous experiences and think of ways where you have survived and try to envision the survival of your current circumstances.
No matter how hard it is to believe, we all have what it takes to get through adversity. I know that this saying can be overused, but God really doesn’t give you more than you can handle. And yes, I’m sure that there are times where you wish that He did not trust you so much, but for whatever reason, he trust you during this season, so trust that He will bring you through.
If you would like professional help, and sorting through some of the difficulties that you’re facing now, help is available.