I know for me, I've learned different tools and tricks throughout the years. I used to suffer from extreme anxiety that prevented me from being around people or going in stores. I had to learn techniques that I could use to help myself so I could get past the extreme anxiety. From time to time, I still struggle with anxiety but it isn't as bad.
I have had plenty of difficult moments in life and some have almost completely taken me under. There are times when I've felt like I could barely crawl back up out of the whole I had dug for my life. Yet, somehow I managed to keep going and get through difficult moments.
It will not last forever...
One of the things that I think is important is to realize that whatever you are going through, it will pass. It will not last forever. You will find a way through it. Yes, I know it may not seem like that in the present moment, but it too shall pass.
Another thing is that sometimes you have to lean on those around you for support. Sometimes they are the strength that you don't have in that moment. There are just times when they help shine the flashlight on the difficult path you are walking down.
There are times in difficult moments when you have to be assertive and ask others for help. Sometimes other people have no clue what you need and unless you ask for what you need, how will they know how to help you? By you asking for what you need, you will be taking care of yourself and working to find a way through the difficult moment.
Regroup and Reassess...
Sometimes you have to regroup and reassess where you are, where you are going and what you need to do to get there. This often involves a time of rest or slowed down activity. Sometimes what once seemed vital and important to life is no longer at the level as your eyes get opened to new things during difficult moments.
Realizing that sometimes a difficult moment is one that you will look back on in future days and see just how it shifted you or how it brought you to some experience you needed to see. Sometimes it is what propels us forward into what we need to do, rather than stay complacent in what we've done. I know that isn't easy during difficult moments, but as I've looked back in my life, I continue to see just how true this is.
Allowing yourself to be in that difficult moment is something I've been learning how beneficial it is. It helps me move through those moments easier and quicker, rather than getting stuck in them. Yes, I know, if you would have told me years ago that this was true, I would have scoffed in your face. I'm just learning more and more to surrender into the difficult moment and see what it is that I am to learn from it. It truly does help, even if it is hard to do this.
Hope and Possibility Through Trauma...
I always try to keep in mind just how far I have come and what I have faced, endured, and triumphed over. In 1991, I was paralyzed by a Conversion Disorder which I've written about in my book, Hope And Possibility Through Trauma. None of that was easy, but as I look back, I can see just how far I've come. Each of us has those moments in life that we can look back towards and know that we too can make it through this.
Getting through difficult moments is unique to each person. What works for one person, may not work for someone else. So find out what gets you through difficult moments. Make it a part of your life to see what is beyond where you're at while accepting that this difficult moment you are in is only temporary. It too shall pass.
Sometimes a playlist of music can be of great help. I've done that through many times where I can just hit play on the playlist. It is one of the things I've used to help with anxiety, relaxation, and just taking me out of the moment I was in. I've sang to some music when no one was home and cried to other songs. We all have songs that move us in one way or another.
Whatever it is that you do to get yourself through difficult moments, tweak it and change it to meet the needs of that moment. You may find that what you do to deal with difficult moments will change over time as you learn new things about yourself and become stronger through past moments.
Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly
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