You can't be happy all the time, as there will be some unpleasant moments in your life which you may not have any control over. No person will be happy every single moment of their life, no one. It's important to know that as you should not have unrealistic expectations, don't think life will be all sunshine and rainbows. Plus, when it comes to overcoming adversity, you must experience unhappy moments.
How can you differentiate between being happy and sad if you can't experience either? Don't feel bad if you experience adversity; it's part of our life. Most people tend to exaggerate certain aspects of their life, which causes them to be unhappy. It is essential to understand and rectify a situation when needed. Let's talk about things you can do when it comes to overcoming adversity.
Internal & External Factors
The main reason why many people are unhappy is that their internal and external factors are not in check. People who need to overcome adversity might feel like they have no control over these factors, but they do. If an individual can recognize these factors as a solvable issue, they can replace them and live a happier life.
You will learn how to replace and form new good habits, but you must recognize and process these factors. If the elements we talk about are a part of your life, then make sure to acknowledge them as solvable issues and pursue better habits.
Internal Factors
Negative Self Talk: The most common issue for people facing adversity. It would be best if you strive for positive self-talk. The positive self-talk will significantly impact how you feel, as your mind is mighty. Negative self-talk is usually inherited from the people and things you visit daily. Optimistic people are more likely to be resilient enough to overcome adversity.
If you think certain aspects or people make you think and feel negative, you must find new people or hobbies. If you have a family member who makes you think negatively, then create some distance. You must help yourself first before you can help others.
Brain Food: Just like health-conscious people eat healthy foods to keep a healthy body, you must feed your brain nutritional content. It would be best if you made a continuous effort to watch and read things that make your brain work the right way.
Something that would be considered brain food makes you feel fulfilled makes you grow as a person, makes you motivated, and puts you in a positive mindset. If the social media account or Netflix show doesn't meet the criteria, you must find something new.
Overthinking: We all do it sometimes, but if you find yourself overthinking often, you must make a conscious effort to stop overthinking. When you overthink, you create scenarios that don't exist but make you feel anxious or sad.
In most cases, we overthink things we have no control over, so it's doing is no right to spend time thinking. If you ever start to overthink, remember it will not yield to anything, and you are wasting your time.
External Factors to Overcoming Adversity
Friends: On average, we see our friends once a week, which makes them a substantial part of our life. If you feel leaving negative or not worthy after hanging out with your friend, you must find new friends.
It doesn't matter how long you have been friends with them; they are not helping you be the happiest person. It's much better to have one friend who provides you with positive energy than to have a couple of friends who hang out with you and make you feel negative.
Diet & Exercise: You might have heard the saying, you are what you eat? If you have or haven't, then let me tell you that it's true. If you eat low-quality foods, then you will not feel the best. Make sure to start eating healthier by consuming foods that nourish your body. Consider practicing a mindful eating meditation.
Alongside your healthy diet, you must exercise to keep your body in shape. Diet and exercise will help you stay healthy, and if you have a healthy body, you will function at your optimal level. This doesn't mean you become a health freak and be regimented; make sure to eat and exercise regularly.
Sleep: You must get at least 8-9 hours of sleep per night, as this is when your brain and body recover. Make sure to cut out any TV or Smartphone an hour before you sleep and sleep in the dark. Anyone can get the proper amount of sleep unless you work 20 hours a day. Prioritize your sleep, just like you prioritize your diet and exercise.
Your Living Space: The bedroom is where most people spend most of their time, so it needs to be clean and pretty. If your room is not up to your standards, then you will not feel the best. Remember, if you look good, you feel good; the same goes for your room. If your room looks excellent and organized, then you will feel fabulous and organized.
It would help if you considered spending some money and decorating your space the way you want, regardless of you not owning the place. Even if you live with your parents, make your room look good by investing in your bed, cabinet, posters, and lamps.
Sit down & Analyze: Think about how you react to life and what you might be doing that's making you unhappy. Remember, the first step to happiness is to recognize the issue or issues before solving them. Take some time now, think who your friends are, how they make you feel, how is your eating and exercising habits, and are you feeding your brain the right food?
How To Change Your Habits To Overcome Adversity?
Now you know the internal and external factors which might be holding you back when overcoming adversity. Let's talk about the key factors that can help you change those factors and make better habits.
Make conscious effort daily
You must take the first step towards overcoming adversity. It can be as little or as big of action as you would like. For example, if your friend makes you feel negative, say no to meeting up with them or only watching and reading things that positively affect you.
We recommend you start slow and get comfortable with the new habit before implementing other positive changes. It would be best if you got comfortable with one positive habit before moving to another because you will have a higher likelihood of continuing those habits.
Be Selfish to Overcome Adversity
You must be selfish when overcoming adversity, as it is a hard time for you. Make sure to think about yourself before indulging in any activities. Ask yourself this question, is it going to help me overcome my adversity or not? If the answer is no, then don't take part in that activity.
If you are overcoming adversity, then it's very likely that you will try and please other people. But make sure not to be selfless, as it will only make matters worse. Be selfish and do whatever you have to do to be happier. Overcoming adversity should be your number one priority.
Do What You Love
When overcoming adversity, one of the best things you can do is do the things you love. If you always wanted to learn how to draw, join drawing classes, or if you always wanted to do sky diving, then do sky diving. This is your time to treat yourself and also to find yourself.
When you start doing things you love, you will find out what your passion is. In most cases, when you find your passion in life, you will find something to work on and eventually overcome adversity. Try and indulge in as many relaxing activities as possible, especially those that take your mind off negative things, as this could be a way of therapy.
Talk To Someone
If you feel like talking to someone will help you overcome adversity, then, by all means, talk to someone. Make sure to speak to someone who you can trust and is there for you. If you don't have anyone to talk to, you can always hire a therapist who can help you overcome adversity.
Sometimes, talking to a professional can be an excellent option, especially if you have difficulty overcoming adversity. You don't need to find a therapist, but if you feel like nothing is working for you, there is nothing wrong with talking to a therapist who can help you overcome your problems.
Final Verdict
Overcoming adversity can be difficult based on how much it affects you. But if you work on overcoming adversity and making a conscious effort daily, you should overcome your adversity in no time. The key to overcoming adversity would be to become a happier person, and the way to do that is to follow better daily habits. Once your mind is in the right state, then overcoming adversity will be very easy. Make sure to take your time and focus on eliminating things that don't help you.
