Nine strategies to help you get through difficult situations
Nine strategies to help you get through difficult situations
Feeling nervous or overwhelmed is common in our chaotic, uncertain world. You can find some peace and strengthen your resilience with these scientifically supported methods.
There are moments when the things going on around you can be too much to handle. The uncertainty that accompanies such events can make you feel nervous and agitated, whether it is a tragedy at home, the constant barrage of bad news and seismic shift occurring throughout the world, or the daily strain of keeping your head above water.
The BBC's science team has uncovered some of the lessons we have learned in recent years about overcoming hardship to help you deal with similar situations. Here are nine strategies for finding resilience and peace in the midst of chaos, ranging from productive worrying to watching scary movies.
Appeal to some feelings that cannot be translated
Your inner existence can be significantly shaped by the words you say. For example, adopting more specific language to express your emotions can help you deal with life, according to numerous research. For instance, you could identify irritation, anxiety, fear, or existential dread instead of just stating that you feel "stressed."
"Emotional granularity" is the ability to distinguish between various emotions, and it has advantages for mental and physical well-being.
According to some psychologists, understanding how other cultures refer to their emotions—many of which have no exact English translation—might even be beneficial. Consider the Finnish notion of "exceptional determination in the face of misfortune" (sisu).According to Lisa Feldman Barrett, a neuroscientist at Northeastern University in Boston, "you can think of the words and the thoughts they are connected with as instruments for living."
Make the most of your anxiety
The Latin and Greek words for "choked" and "uneasy" are where the term "anxiety" first appeared. Anyone who has ever had an anxiety episode can easily see why. Therefore, it may seem improbable that you could benefit from the experience.
However, the evidence seems to indicate just that. Aside from the severe, incapacitating state that comes with anxiety disorders, which are acknowledged mental health issues, the feeling of anxiety may be a source of motivation that stimulates our need for reward and social interaction. We are also more inventive and creative when we are nervous. Our brains react more efficiently and with better focus. We may become more productive as a result.
So how can you use this constructive aspect of anxiety? It necessitates a change of perspective, as the two pieces below examine. "Negative" emotions are frequently normal reactions to challenging situations, and those who are able to get meaning from the whole range of human emotions typically have better mental health.
Try to view worry as a tool for preparing and for conveying crucial information rather than as a distress cry that needs to be eliminated. For instance, those who are trained to view their nervousness as a sign that they are prepared to take on a task rather than a sign of distress perform better under pressure.
Using anxiety to create beneficial goals and investigating its source with inquiry are two strategies that can help transform worry into a good force. Actors, for instance, employ this tactic to help them cope with anxiety, and studies also indicate that it can be beneficial for challenging tests or public speaking. Over time, it may also lessen the likelihood of burnout.
Learn more about the unexpected benefits of worry in this article by Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, and discover the unexpected benefits of our negative emotions in this post by David Robson.
You might be able to transform your anxiety into a constructive force by adopting a fresh perspective on it.
Develop productive worrying skills.
It can also be utilized to concentrate our attention on planning and problem-solving because our worries often center on the future rather than the past. It may also inspire us to act.
Worrying can assist with anything from trying to stop smoking to being more prepared for wildfires, according to research. Additionally, being aware of your limited options can assist to diffuse anxiety when it relates to something you can not do much about. Health psychologist Kate Sweeny of the University of California, Riverside says the following is a useful method for channeling anxiety and rerouting it as needed:
- Put a label on the concern.
- Make a mental list of potential solutions to the issue.
- After you have done everything you can, try to enter one of the
- states like awe, attentiveness, and flow that lessen anxiety.
See this post by Christine Ro. to learn more about how channeling worry can help you take meaningful action in your own life and lower stress.
Use a book, some music, or your surroundings to improve your mood.
The proper book has the power to improve your life. Just by opening its pages, you can go to different nations or perhaps distant worlds.
People who regularly read for enjoyment tend to be less stressed, unhappy and lonely, while being more socially engaged and confident, study has indicated.
Adapting a book recommendation to a person's mood or mental health issues is part of the expanding "bibliotherapy" discipline. According to one study on the topic, the objective is to "help soothe, heal, and rejuvenate the troubled mind – and can play a part in reducing stress and anxiety."
However, practitioners point out that books are not a panacea and frequently function best when combined with other forms of therapy. Making thoughtful selections is also crucial because reading the wrong book at the wrong moment might worsen your mood.
If you do not have time to open a book, consider listening to one of your favorite songs. Music has the power to instantly change our mood and push our emotions. Once more, exercise caution since while the proper music might improve your mood, the wrong sort may potentially cause you to act badly. Discover what suits you.
It has also been demonstrated that mindfully choosing your surroundings, such as surrounding yourself with plants or even just pictures of green areas, or looking at pictures of loved ones, can have an impact.
See this article by David Robson to learn more about managing your emotions, and this post by Katya Zimmer to learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of bibliotherapy.
See a terrifying movie
When you are already on edge, jump scares, grizzly zombies, and spectral entities hiding in the shadows might not seem like the best remedies. However, it can "be a salve for our troubles" to watch a horror film.
It is a form of play to watch a scary movie from the comfort of the couch. It allows us to experiment with risky scenarios, preparing our minds for potential hazards in the actual world. According to research, people who enjoy terrifying stories are better able to handle challenging situations and have less anxiety in their daily lives.
Therefore, keep in mind that it is an exercise for the area of your brain that controls tension during difficult situations, regardless of whether you prefer to hide behind a cushion or relish the thrill of a spine-tingling horror.
See this article by David Robson to learn more about how watching scary movies can help you feel less anxious.
The best hope is the kind that calls on you to get your hands dirty and contribute to improving things.
Count your blessings.
Some of the best advice eventually spreads so far that it becomes cliched. "Count your blessings" is one of them.
It is also known as a "gratitude list" or "three wonderful things," but the idea is the same: take a time in the evening to jot down three positive things that happened to you throughout the day. It is a tiny yet constructive move that can have significant impacts. It is supported by solid scientific evidence.
According to a 2005 study, after just one month, those who made lists of three positive things reported feeling happier and experiencing fewer depression episodes. Over the course of the six-month research, those beneficial effects persisted. The placebo group, who were merely gauging their level of happiness, only experienced a brief increase in happiness.
