cope with crises
5 ways not to lose hope in bad times
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Does the blanket fall on your head and you just want to lie in your bed and forget the world? We have some strategies that might help you feel better.
When the news showers us with negative events or when our life situation is complicated, it helps to take a deep breath and calm down. Especially when we develop fears from things that we encounter every day on social media or elsewhere on the Internet. We give you tips that can help you get through difficult times.
Reduce your news consumption
Being up to date is good and we shouldn’t completely close our eyes to what’s happening in the world. But if the information in the media overwhelms you or even stresses you out, it’s time to shut down your daily consumption. Because you don’t have to know what’s happening all the time – just take good care of yourself.
For example, only watch a news program in the evening to catch up on the most important events of the day. Avoid discussions on the Internet on hard topics and it is best not to read comments. Because they quickly make us doubt everything even more. And when we’re already in a bad mood, any additional negative info just pulls us down even more.
Reading the news instead of watching videos can also help. Sometimes the images are just too much for us to process in a few minutes. This can be easier for us in text form and we still stay informed. Limit your message input to about twice a day.
Use your newly gained time for music
Music can be a true healing agent for our soul. It can calm us down or put us in a better mood. Listen to your favorite songs or watch a concert recording of your favorite band. Singing and dancing along is of course expressly encouraged!
Focus on the good things
We often tend to cling to the bad things and skip the good moments. This can cause inner or physical tension and, in the worst case, even affect our health. It’s important to keep one basic idea in mind: there are so many things in the world that are good – and sometimes it helps to pick yourself up and enjoy the little things.
Let’s just take this moment when you’re reading this line: Maybe you’re sitting on your super cozy sofa, maybe with a wonderfully smelling cup of tea or coffee in your hand. Or you’re sitting on the train where a young man has just made room for an older lady because there are nice people in this world – or a nice gentleman gave you priority on the train earlier.
But there are also very general things that are good: For example, a delicious meal, being physically fit or friends you can count on. At some point we take many things for granted, but these are all gifts in our lives.
It can be a nice exercise to keep a gratitude diary: Write down ten moments for which you are grateful in a day – from the delicious smoothie to the funny voice message to the soothing bath.
Go outside!
Going to the forest or the park immediately boosts our mood – and even in the rain, a walk with good music can be really fun. Running, breathing fresh air and enjoying green leaves or the flowers definitely makes the day better. So: Use your surroundings and take a little trip into nature after work, maybe to a lake.
Create positive things around you
What makes you smile? Is it meeting friends or that moment when you try something new? Trying to do something nice for yourself is a good start to making yourself feel better. Maybe you can even make others happy with your attention or presence: for example by calling your grandma or your mum – or sending a message to your friends to ask what’s going on in their life right now. Create positive moments for yourself and for others and feel what effect this can have on you.
Source used: Psychology Today