Life Feel Hard To Handle? Here's What Mental Health Experts Recommend

We all know that life is filled with ups and downs, but when you're in the midst of a particularly hard time, it can be hard to picture how you'll ever get out of it.

"It is essential to have skills to navigate challenges, as learning these will enable you to develop a sense of confidence in your ability to cope," psychologist Nicole Issa, Psy.D., tells mbg.

The first thing you can do is accept the current circumstances along with your thoughts and emotions that come along with it. "Nonacceptance leads to suffering, as you will only perpetuate a struggle if you are in denial or battling reality," says Issa. "Once you choose to practice radical acceptance, you open yourself up to the possibility of less suffering and making appropriate changes."

To help you accept your thoughts and feelings, as well as work through them, you'll want to stay mindful. "Mindfulness is the practice of being present and accepting what's arising without judgment," therapist and meditation teacher Joree Rose, M.A., LMFT, tells mbg. It might sound counterintuitive, but this practice can help you avoid some stress and emotional pain.

"Bring your attention to the present moment and focus on observing and describing different sensations," says Issa. "This will help you to feel more grounded." 

You can also cultivate mindfulness by practicing deep breathing. "Taking deep breaths will calm your emotional brain and calm your body," says Rose. "The breath will be able to quiet down the heart rate, calm the sensations in the body, as well as bring your mind's attention back to the here and now."

Most people tend to think of exercise as solely beneficial for their physical health, but movement can work wonders for your mind as well. "Moving your body will ground you mentally and boost your immune system," internist Erika Schwartz, M.D., tells mbg. Research has found1 that three to five 45-minute workouts a week can help reduce your number of "poor mental health days" by 40%, with poor mental health defined in the study as stress, depression, and emotional concerns. 

It's tempting to want to check in on what's going on everywhere all the time, but too much screen time can make stress and anxiety worse. "Limit news and social media to 10 to 20 minutes per day," says Schwartz. "Instead, turn on healing music, read a book, watch comedies and romantic movies, or watch a documentary. And maybe you just limit watching TV, phone, or tablets to two hours a day maximum. Watch how much better you'll feel."

Even if you can't physically be with someone, stay connected with a few friends or family members. We need social connection, so try FaceTiming or texting. "Reach out to people you haven't talked to in a while," says Rose. Connecting with someone and talking about how you feel may sound like the last thing you want to do, but research shows that social support can help combat stress and depression2.

It can seem difficult to keep going about your everyday life when you're feeling out of sorts, but make an attempt to stick to a routine. "Without a routine, we can slip into feeling like we have no purpose, and with no purpose, we can easily slip into depression," says Rose. "We need to maintain normalcy for our mental stability, and when life does return to normal, we want that transition to be smooth."

You can only do so much to change your circumstances, and with most situations, there will be factors you can't control or change. This can feel frustrating and scary, but rather than continue to let your stress and anxiety about a situation worsen, you can incorporate a number of strategies that can help you get through hard times. Find what works for you, and stick to it.