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The trick to staying calm and focused : In the face of adversity when everything else seems like it is going against you

28 Mar 2021

By Patrick De Krester  There are many times we will find ourselves in situations that are beyond our control despite our best intentions. It could be any type of situation that can happen at any point in your life, whether you might be getting ready for your exams, getting ready for university, or starting out at a new job. Regardless of where you might be in life, you might suddenly become overwhelmed with stress due to exterior sources that you have no control of. I remember a time in my life years ago; my cat had died and a few days later a couple of my family members were ill during one of my exam periods. The overwhelming sense of dread and misery that you might experience from that can almost cripple you and prevent you from being productive at all, which is completely understandable for anyone given the circumstances. However, it is something that we do not have to deal with alone, which is why we have found ourselves discussing this topic here today – in order to figure out a solution to problems like these. With that being said, below are a list of six tips that might help you in this battle.
  1. Remind yourself that this is a normal thing for anyone to go through
The first reason may seem rather basic at first glance, but basics come first. The first rule of overcoming any adversity is to tell yourself that this was always bound to happen sooner or later in your life. Even if it feels like what you are going through is happening way too often in your life, you still should tell yourself that this is a natural challenge you are facing. It is important to do so in order to remind yourself that you do not need to panic too much. If we question why our luck is against us all the time and wonder why it has to happen to us in particular, we will often end up panicking and worrying too much. That is never a good thing to do, especially if you happen to be someone who suffers greatly from anxiety-related issues. 
  1. Communicate, communicate, communicate
There is a popular belief that getting things off your chest is often extremely likely to cheer you up and calm you down. That is what makes communication so important for this next step. When it seems like everything is crashing down around us in both our professional and private lives, it is important to seek a helping hand and make sure that you have someone who can be there with you so that you can freely share your thoughts with them. Sometimes all we need to do to stay calm is to just know that we have someone listening to the problems on the other side. As long as someone is there, everything will work out. 
  1. Sort out your eating schedule
We often underestimate how much our stomachs can help contribute to the anguish and pain that we are experiencing whenever things go wrong. More often than not, I see a lot of people who neglect their eating habits when they go through a downturn and it only serves to make things worse in the long run. There is a reason why food can be quite therapeutic at times. Eating berries and broccoli, for example, can be useful in getting rid of those extra toxins in your system and ease the swelling of your nerve fibres. And as much as this one sounds like a trope out of a movie scene, eating lots of ice cream might prove to give you that extra dopamine kick you need to get through whatever it is that you are going through. Who is up for a tub of strawberry ice cream? 
  1. Meditation
This is the first time I have ever referenced meditation as a problem solver in any of my articles, but that is because it took me a while to realise how beneficial it can prove to be. The sceptical side of me always thought that meditation was just a temporary distraction that would never really help anyone for too long, but I could not have been more wrong. It is something that you need to try and experience for yourself to really see what I am talking about. Throwing on some soothing music while you take half an hour to focus on yourself and your mental wellbeing can do wonders in the long run. Meditation is certainly one of your best friends during your lowest moments in life. 
  1. A walk never hurts
Nothing has ever been more therapeutic for me during my low points in life than a good old-fashioned walk. There is really a lot to gain from simply venturing outside to breathe in some fresh air from time to time, while you disconnect from all the problems you have been facing up till now and just take a good hour to focus on yourself. Going for a walk is quite ideal as well because after all, air pollution is comparatively lower here than in a lot of other countries across the world. The therapeutic remedies of breathing in fresh air can do wonders for your system even if you do not think it will at first.  
  1. Practise gratitude every morning and evening
You will see a lot of articles in this magazine that are focused on the art of practising gratitude and making yourself happier through it, so it goes without saying that doing just that is key to moving forward in a calm and collected manner when you face adversity around you. You need to remind yourself that there is still a lot that you can be grateful and happy for, despite any setbacks that you might face along the way. At the end of the day, progress starts with you. Do not allow the problems around you to get inside your head and convince you to stay down, because that is how you end up losing this battle. Change occurs when you start becoming more active and you focus on yourself more. Remember, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to standing up for yourself. As long as you keep moving forward and you adopt a system that is healthy and responsive to the negative environment that you are surrounded by, then you should be fine.  Photos The Cambridge Club, Lifeworks Counselling Centre, Food Navigator, Mindful, Ready for Life Pinellas


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