Write in a journal. Journaling can help you to get through difficult situations
and process your emotions. Journaling can also benefit your physical health and
reduce stress. Especially with emotional situations, like losing someone you
love or realizing you don’t want to be a doctor after three years of medical
school, facing the reality of your present situation changing so drastically is
hard and takes time. Writing it down helps you acknowledge that the situation
is real.
- If you already keep a journal, continue writing daily and add a new component such as a list of things you are grateful for every day.
- Or, write about your day as usual and then add a reflection of what you did that day to change your situation.
Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness can help to reduce the
amount of time that you spend ruminating. That means that is can prevent you
from dwelling so much on the negative aspects of your situation. Among other
benefits, practicing mindfulness is also a powerful way to relieve stress and
it can improve your ability to focus.
- You can practice mindfulness as you do daily activities, such as brushing your teeth or washing the dishes. For example, as you brush your teeth, focus on the sound of the toothbrush, the feeling of the bristles, and the taste of the peppermint toothpaste.
- When you are doing dishes, think about the temperature of the water, the sounds you hear, the smell of the dish soap, and how you move your hands as you wash. Be present in the experience of doing the dishes instead of thinking about all the other things you need to do.
Express gratitude for what you have. Whether you start a gratitude journal, or just write three
to five things you are grateful for on a dry-erase board every morning, start
making it a daily practice to reflect on what you have instead of what you
think you are missing. Gratitude can help you to let go of emotions such as
regret, resentment, and frustration.
- Start out by jotting down basic things that make you feel grateful, such as having a place to live, clothes on your back, a good friend, or nice meal. As your list builds, look for smaller things that make you feel grateful, such as a beautiful sunset, a good cup of coffee, or sharing a laugh with a friend.
Challenge negative thoughts. Replacing negative thoughts with positive ones is a good
way to help yourself feel better. Whenever you have a negative thought, try to
replace it with a positive version of that thought.
- If someone you love passes away, and you constantly think that your life will never be happy again, then this can affect your outlook on life. To counteract these thoughts, you might tell yourself something like, “I will experience love and happiness again.”
- Or, if you have lost your job and money is tight, then you might focus on something positive that you are doing to improve your situation, such as, “I am learning effective ways to manage the money that I have.”
Practice self-soothing. Self-soothing is an important part of managing your
emotions on a day-to-day basis. You might be feeling anxious, overwhelmed,
angry, or just frustrated in general. To cope with the emotions you are
feeling, you can use self-soothing strategies. Identify self-soothing
activities that work for you and use them as needed.
- Try taking a bubble bath, watching a funny movie, or sipping a cup of tea when you are feeling sad or lonely.
- If you are feeling angry or anxious, then taking a long walk or going for a bike ride might be a good way to self-soothe.
