Life can be extremely challenging and almost unbearable at times. On some days we feel disconnected from those around us; fearful of how long our carefully saved finances will last; without a compelling purpose for our life; and fat, ugly or just plain old when we look in the mirror. On these days it is hard to move through the day without wanting to give up and just crawl back into bed.
For many, when life gets overwhelming, they stuff down the emotions and reach for the remote, refrigerator, red wine or racy web site. If you find yourself trying to handle difficult emotions with more frequency don’t just trudge through it and hope it gets better.
Isolation is one of the enemy’s favorite tactics. He wants you to believe that you are the only one experiencing troubles. Does the thought “No one could possibly understand or help” come often. While others may not have experienced the exact situation you are facing plenty of others have had hard times, challenging thoughts, and difficult emotions.
Here are a few practical ideas that might just help you today with those difficult emotions:
- Get up and move (go for a walk/do those dishes/play Frisbee on a work break/dance)
- Find someone to help (offer to watch someone kids/help a friend clean/mow a neighbors lawn)
- Write out a list of ten things you are grateful for and post it on your mirror
- Crank some music (choose uplifting not “All By Myself” sung by Celine Dion) and sing along
- Call a trusted friend and share your struggles
If you have tried for several days to process your difficult emotions and are sinking deeper and deeper, call and make an appointment with a counselor. You don’t have to do this alone. You don’t have to drown in your difficult emotions.
In the meantime, for those who believe, here are a few words of comfort from Psalm 43:5 out of The Message
“Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He’s my God.”