10 Tips for Surviving Difficult Times

I wrote this 13 years ago, following a difficult patch in my life, but realise its relevant in our current times & hope you find it of help in some way….

10 TIPS FOR SURVIVING DIFFICULT TIMES

  1. Know bad things happen to good people and without explanation.
    Knowing this truth helps us not to get bogged down in unanswerable and emotionally draining or paralysing questions such as: Why me? / What have I done to deserve this?
  2. Know who IS in control.
    At a time when you are likely to feel and be out of control it helps enormously to look beyond yourself to God – the one who is in ultimate control of all things.
  3. Face the Reality of the Situation.
    Being willing to accept that life is difficult and face situations as they really are will save us from the unrealistic expectations that can trigger stress and depression
  4. Look After Yourself.
    We need to nurture and care for ourselves to maintain our physical, mental and emotional health.
  5. Know Yourself …Your Strengths and Your Limitations
    You may find it helpful to spend some time thinking about your own personal strengths and weakness particularly in relation to how you manage in difficult situations.
  6. Know your absolute principles and convictions and why you hold them.
    These may be your personal values, the things you know to be true or Gods promises.
    Know them and cling to them – no matter what.
  7. Know the Things you have that are of Real Value and don’t take them for granted.
    These are things like Family, Friends, Security, a sense of personal value and purpose.
  8. Hold onto everything else like your possessions and your lesser beliefs and ideas, lightly because when the going gets tough this gives you mental and emotional flexibility and means you are not weighed down with unnecessary baggage.
  9. Know where your support comes from and make sure it is easily accessible.
    Know the relationships that are important to you, because they encourage and sustain you, and feed and grow them. That obviously goes for your relationship with God too if that’s important to you.
  10. Have an aim or a goal that you can fix on and work towards.