“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” —Martin Luther King, Jr, Strength to Love, 1963.
Things like grief, loss, rage, unfairness and inequality, hate, regret, sadness, misery, and so many more instances and feelings make life hard to get through.
Are you the one who feels that life is hard? You are on the brink, a point of no return? You are not the only one. Many of us think like this. We always look at those people whom we think are leading an easy and happy life. Their life is a bed of roses. They face no hardships. Grief, unfairness, loss, and inequality have never touched them. They have never encountered unpleasant situations. They are born with a silver spoon! But if you dig deeper, and peep into their lives, you will know that they too had their tough moments or undergoing a kind of turmoil that has made their life hard.
But do you agree that life is supposed to be hard sometimes, to teach us some invaluable life lessons? There is no bigger teacher than hard times. It brings you face-to-face with your real self. You can analyze how strong or weak you are. How deftly you handled the difficult situation?
The big question remains: Is life supposed to be hard?
Life is neither supposed to be hard nor it is. It is just some perception of people who just do not want to deal with the daily ongoings of life and want to live in some kind of Utopia where they do not have to do things and things happen on their own.
When we are going through tough times, we question ourselves: Why me?
We ask God, “Why is life so hard for me?” It is noteworthy to reflect on the obstacles present in our lives that may negatively impact us. Various circumstances in life can cause us distress and make us question why life is difficult at a particular moment or over time. We all live diverse and complex lives that present us with unique challenges which can easily make us feel like we are the only ones dealing with our struggles.
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”
You are not alone; many have come before you who have experienced similar hardships and found a way to make it through. Their wisdom can help you find your way through your biggest obstacles. Whatever the reasons you might be feeling, life is hard; there is support available to help you gain new perspectives on life. There are some things you can do to reduce your current sense of dissatisfaction.
What can make getting through these rough periods even more difficult is when we struggle even more than we really must.
Of course, when we are going through a tough time, we are usually feeling:
- Overwhelmed
- Scared
- Angry
- Vulnerable
In modern times, almost all relationships are under stress owing to internal and external factors. Across generations, thinking and psychologies across generations have undergone tremendous change. The joint family system has been replaced by nuclear families which have put families under pressure, without realizing it. Loneliness is another factor that has led to disbalance in society. Elders are alone, youngsters are alone, and even children are alone! Everybody seems to be living their own life, but still, they are not happy. You need relationships to survive and thrive in life. According to me the most critical stress in life is when you have conflict in your life.
Conflict within a relationship can lead to reduced satisfaction within a partnership. It can have severe implications for the relationship and the overall health of the partners involved. When your significant other becomes your whole life, and any negative shift occurs in your connection, your world can quickly come crashing down.
To endure this situation, you need to follow a self–care regimen, particularly when you are thinking, why life is so hard on me?
Some examples of mental health challenges of trauma that make life hard can include:
- Depression or Existential Depression
- Substance Abuse
- Chronic Pain
- Nightmares
- Flashbacks
- Sense of Worthlessness
- Hopelessness
- Insomnia
- Dissociation
- Irritability
- Decrease in Concentration
- Panic Attacks
You can undertake the following to release challenging aspects from your life.
- Prevention Planning
- Positive Reframing
- Humour
- Prayer or Meditation
- Going to others for emotional support
- Consulting others for practical advice
- Self-Distraction and Redirection
In such situations, managing your emotions is essential if you are going to do something challenging.
If we let these emotions get the best of us, we can create an even greater struggle for ourselves.
Even when life is not that challenging, getting to do hard things is usually a difficult task.
The easy stuff is so… well, easy and usually a lot more fun.
So, make things easier, and be happyHo.
