(#6) how to have courage in challenging situations

 Hello beautiful people!

Welcome back to WELLNESS BABE podcast. I am Kelly Ann Ward

So I hope everyone is doing amazing. So happy to be spending some quality time with you. 

There's certain things in life you simply can't change. Like the past for example. All we can do is learn from our mistakes and continue to move forward and strive to be a better human being. It is all about the journey and happiness is something we can learn. Even through challenging situations we encounter in life, it is totally possible to find happiness, create happiness and be happy and in this week's episode, I wanted to speak about how to have courage in challenging situations. 

Life is full of ups and downs. One day you may feel as if you are on the right track and you feel so good and then the next moment, you get thrown by a curveball. The good thing is that you are not alone. Everyone has to face their own set of challenges in life. It is a common denominator that we all share and we all may handle life's challenges in different ways however we all experience hard times. It is part of the journey. When you learn how to overcome challenges that you face in life, it will help you to build confidence in yourself and also remain calm under the pressure. 

On this week's episode, I wanted to share with you a few good tips to follow when things get tough, so I hope this helps you as much as it's helped me. 

1. Create a plan.

Let's be real, we don't know what is going to happen in the future, that is the beauty of the unknown, it is scary and can make you feel anxious, but it can also give you hope and something to look forward to because what if everything does work out. What I suggest is to reflect and look at the patterns in your life and assess the challenges you have struggled with and overcome, and when you are faced with a challenge, consider how you handled it before and create a plan for how you can can achieve the outcome you desire. Instead of giving into that feeling of drowning in all of your problems, which can be super overwhelming, you need to ask yourself - am I going to sink or swim? The choice is always yours. When you can anticipate the challenges that you may face, you are able to plan ahead. For example - if the challenge you face is not being able to commit to doing something, why don't you start with creating a list of what you want to achieve and then go through the list and tick off each goal or task that you complete, and actually hold yourself accountable to completing one of the items on your list a day. Take it day by day, but create a plan for yourself where you are able to work through the challenge you are facing. 

2. Don't feel alone. 

Everyone in the world has their low moments and struggles. Some people may handle it differently to how you would or they may hide it much better than other people. What you need to realize is that whatever you are going through right now, there are so many other people who have been through it too and who have overcome it. Therefore don't feel alone, because we all have our own unique set of challenges. It is part of what makes life interesting and meaningful. So never be afraid to ask for help.

3. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

I feel like there is so much shame around the idea of asking for help or perhaps sharing that you are struggling right now. That narrative really needs to change, because it is not true. There is nothing wrong with reaching out for help. Whether you choose to speak to a family member, friend or a mentor, there are people in your life who want the best for you and who want to see you happy and succeed. I highly recommend going to therapy as well and speaking to a professional. It is such a healthy way to be able to deal with your emotions, your struggles and to focus on developing solutions so that you can overcome it. We really need to start getting into the habit of making our mental and emotional health a priority so that we can heal from issues that are holding us back. 

4. Embrace your emotions. 

When you mask how we feel, those emotions and feelings are not going to just go away. When you choose to store negative feelings and negative energy inside, it could affect your mindset, your overall well-being and your life in the long run. Therefore take the time to feel what you feel so that you can understand yourself more and be able to gain clarity on how to deal with a challenging situations. I think that spending time alone for a few minutes a day is so beneficial, because you have time to unwind, relax your mind and reflect. You could even try meditating, writing down how you feel on a daily basis or even spend some time in nature. This is such a brilliant way to block out all of the noise and go inward. So find some Zen in your life. 

5. Helping others. 

If you have been through a challenging situation or you have advice that may help someone else who is also going through a tough time, definitely reach out and show them some support. When you help someone in life, it doesn't only benefit them, but it also helps you to feel much happier from within. It is an amazing feeling to help someone else. Giving back can be in the work you do, the art you create, the service you provide. Life is truly art because it’s imperfect, it’s subjective and it’s your interpretation of it. You choose how to view it. I’m a creative person, I’ve always been, it’s where I feel the happiest. I feel like creative people are constantly looking for meaningful depth in life. Whether it’s found in art, fashion, film,sunsets, music, any form of true expression is something that makes a creative happy inside. That is one of the reasons why I started my YouTube channel, because I found myself in a really unhappy place in life and it was a healthy, positive way for me to create something meaningful that would hopefully inspire, entertain, motivate and help someone who watches and enjoys my videos. There is so much joy and meaning found in helping others. I truly believe that is the purpose of life. It brings you happiness. 

6. Develop a positive mindset.

So you are probably thinking - that sounds much easier said than done. Which is true haha. However what you need to understand is that what you think becomes your reality. Therefore commit to training your mind to think more positively even when experiencing a challenging situation in your life. The way you actually achieve this is by practicing mindfulness techniques and meditation. When you acquire the skills from those techniques, you are able to acknowledge your thoughts and you allow them to pass, and by doing this, you become much better at stopping negative thoughts from constantly consuming your mind. It takes work to really develop this type of mindset, but would you rather be stressed out, depressed and negative all the time, or do you actually want to make the most out of the life you have. 

7. Don't give up. 

This specific tip is inspired by my dad. He is the most inspiring and strongest person I know and when faced with adversity, he also has the mentality of never giving up. It is an inspiring way to live life. When a challenge arises in your life, don't give up, become excited about it, because you know that you have what it takes to overcome it. Persistence is such a huge component when it comes to overcoming challenges. When you choose to give up very easily, you will never overcome a challenge or be given the opportunity to learn from it. You don't learn when everything is lovely and wonderful, you learn from your mistakes and your struggles. You can't appreciate the good times, without having those bad times. Therefore work through those challenging situations by asking for help, embracing your emotions and creating a plan on how to overcome it. 

By accepting where you are now and that this is your life at this time. By practicing more acceptance, it will help you to let go of stress, anxiety and fear. When you are experiencing a particular challenge, even though it is important to feel what you need to feel, take a moment to remove yourself from your current emotions and develop a plan on how to overcome it. Taking action is one of the biggest steps to overcome a challenging situation in your life because let's be real, a major part of facing a challenge has to do with an underlying fear you may have and once you become aware of what that is, you are able to work through it. Ultimately, we love being in our comfort zones, where everything feels comfortable, warm and fuzzy, therefore when something new occurs in our lives, we find it extremely difficult to deal with it. So practice more gratitude and focus on all of the good in your life. It will make you feel so much better. This will also allow you to reframe your perspective on the challenge you are currently facing and you will be able to be happy, even in this present moment. 

Learning how to deal with challenging situations does take time, persistence and a more positive attitude. Something that worked for me to change my perspective every time I was faced with a challenge, is to firstly, be calm and breathe haha, do some affirmations and then understand that no matter what, there will be hard times. BUT - when you have the right mindset and you put that mental work in, you will be able to overcome challenges every time and grow in the process, and you will look back at that situation and be grateful for what it taught you and how much it added to the person you are today. 

I hope you enjoyed this week's episode of WELLNESS BABE podcast. 

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Thank you so much for listening.

I love you all.

Ciao :)