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Overcoming adversity can be incredibly difficult. But, on the other side, it's also a transformative journey that can open the doors towards mental and emotional well-being. On the other hand, ignoring or minimizing the impact of difficult experiences can lead to chronic stress, poor coping strategies, or emotional stagnation. This is why it's important to learn how to face and process challenges in a healthy way, with greater clarity, self-compassion, hope, and strength.

In the following sections, you'll discover 14 practical techniques that can help you handle difficult times and achieve that much-needed state of calmness. However, keep in mind that it is recommended to seek professional help if self-help measures aren't enough.

1. Acknowledge and Feel What You're Going Through

The first step toward healing is to give yourself permission to feel. We often try to skip over the hard part, but this only delays recovery.

Try the following:

• Allow space for emotions like grief, anger, sadness, or fear. These are all valid responses to adversity.

• Avoid minimizing or pushing past your pain. Suppressed emotions often resurface later with more intensity.

• Name your experience honestly:

• This is really hard.

• I didn’t expect this.

• This hurts, and that’s okay.

By acknowledging your feelings, you signal to your brain and body that it’s safe to process what’s happening.

2. Reframe the Narrative

The way you interpret your struggle shapes how you move through it. This doesn't mean you have to switch to toxic positivity or deny your pain. It's about expanding the story so it's not defined only by your pain.

Ask yourself:

• What is this challenge trying to teach me?

• How can I grow from this experience?

• Who am I becoming through this process?

This shift in mindset can lead to post-traumatic growth, a psychological phenomenon where people become more resilient, compassionate, and self-aware after enduring hardship.

3. Lean Into Support (Even When It Feels Hard)

Adversity can be deeply isolating, especially if you feel like no one in the world would understand your pain. But it's important to resist the urge to withdraw or handle things on your own. That’s your pain talking, not your truth. You'll soon learn that connecting with the right people can be truly healing! Human beings are social creatures, after all!

Reach out to trusted people or spaces, such as:

• Close friends or family members who can listen without judgment - hear their stories as well, as they can help you put things in perspective

• A therapist or counselor who can help you process and gain perspective

• Support groups—online or in-person—where others share similar experiences

• Community groups, spiritual communities, or trusted mentors

Ultimately, it's important to surround yourself with positive people who can help you focus on the good things. After all, our brains are wired to focus on the negative, and it really takes practice to change this.

4. Create Structure and Routine

When life feels like a rollercoaster, focus on what you can control. Make a routine, for example. Routines can restore a sense of stability, safety, and comfort. They can give your mind and body a rhythm to rely on.

Here's what you can try:

• Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day.

• Prepare nourishing meals or snacks, even if simple.

• Journal your thoughts and feelings before going to bed.

• Move your body - go for a walk, do some stretching exercises, or try yoga.

• Spend time outdoors for fresh air and sunlight.

• Talk to a friend or family member every day or every other day, if possible.

5. Practice Self-Compassion

Talk to yourself the way you would speak to a beloved friend going through something similar. Drop the inner critic. Adversity is not a sign of weakness or failure. It’s part of being alive. And what you need the most during adversity is kindness, patience, and grace.

When you notice that your inner critic becomes too powerful, stay grounded with statements like:

• I'm doing the best I can right now.

• It's okay to not be okay.

• This doesn't make me weak. It only makes me human.

Moreover, allow yourself to rest, cry, say no, make mistakes, or ask for help without blaming yourself.

6. Train Your Brain with Neurofeedback

What if we told you you can train your brain directly to build resilience? This can be done through neurofeedback, a technique that leverages the brain's neuroplasticity, meaning its ability to form new neural connections. In simple words, neurofeedback is a non-invasive method that teaches your brain to self-regulate.

And when your goal is to become more resilient in the face of adversity, the best way to do this is by training the brain's executive center, the prefrontal cortex. That's exactly what Mendi does.

Mendi incorporates state-of-the-art fNIRS technology to measure blood flow and oxygenation in your prefrontal cortex while you're playing an interactive game on our app. As you become calmer and more focused, you receive positive feedback, which signals your brain that this is the desired state of mind.

Practicing Mendi neurofeedback regularly can help you improve prefrontal cortex function. This also means that you can experience improvements in stress management, goal-setting, emotion regulation, staying grounded under pressure, and calming down more easily in difficult situations. Think of it as mental fitness that allows you to reinforce the neural pathways responsible for resilience.

7. Find Meaning in the Struggle

Pain becomes more bearable when it serves a purpose. Some people realize that they can turn adversity into creative expression, advocacy, purpose-driven work, or spiritual awakening. Finding meaning doesn't eliminate the pain, but it can reframe it as a chapter in a larger, evolving story of growth.

Ask yourself:

• What values are surfacing through this experience?

• How is this shaping who I’m becoming?

• What matters more to me now?

8. Nourish Your Body and Nervous System

Stress, anxiety, grief, and depression affect your body as well, not only your mental health, especially if you don't sleep well and don't eat enough. But the truth is that healing often begins in the body, so nourish it! Provide it with plenty of quality sleep, hydrate well, eat nutritious foods, and move your body.

Try practices like yoga, stretching, walking in nature, breathwork, or somatic therapy to be able to overcome the current situation you're in.

9. Celebrate Small Wins and Progress for a Positive Mindset

It's incredibly easy to lose sight of your progress when you feel sad or hopeless. But don't fall into that trap! It's extremely important to push yourself to acknowledge your small victories, even those that don't feel like victories in that moment, such as:

• Getting out of bed when it's difficult to do so

• Reaching out to someone for support

• Eating a healthy meal instead of a snack

• Getting a good night's sleep

Successful people always remind themselves that every step counts. And if they ever take a step back, they're still further than they were a week ago.

It's part of the journey towards becoming the best version of yourself. You can do this!

10. Develop Healthy Coping Mechanisms

It's tempting to numb the pain or escape through unhealthy habits like working too much, binge eating, isolating yourself from others, or even doomscrolling. It does feel good for now but it's not sustainable in the long run. This is why it's of the essence to put in the effort to learn how to use healthy coping mechanisms when facing adversity.

Here are some healthy coping mechanisms you can try:

• Mindfulness meditation or deep breathing

• Art, journaling, or creative expression

• Movements like dancing or gentle stretching

• Music that helps you release or shift your mood

• Taking a hot shower or wrapping yourself in a blanket

• Snuggling with a pet

• Gardening, walking barefoot, or sunbathing

• Aromatherapy

It may be difficult at first to stick to healthy behaviors because they may not provide relief as quickly as unhealthy coping mechanisms do. But they will help you strengthen your ability to overcome obstacles in the future. You will develop a healthy strategy that will keep you resilient in the face of negative emotions if and when they appear.

11. Stay Disciplined, Even When Motivation Fades

Let's face it: motivation is long gone if you're dealing with emotional adversity; it has packed its bags and left the station. You may feel drained, hopeless, disappointed, and even ashamed (often precisely because you lack the motivation). It's part of the human experience, after all. That's when you can rely on your friend called discipline. It will help you bring that motivation back, and here's how you can leverage it:

• Create a few non-negotiable habits, such as writing in your journal for 10 minutes every day, taking a daily walk, or drinking a full glass of water each morning.

• Don't regard these activities as punishment. On the contrary, they are acts of self-care.

12. Spend Time in Nature or with a Pet

Reconnect with Mother Nature! Multiple studies have shown that spending time in nature or with animals can be profoundly healing on both a psychological and physiological level. It can reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone), lower heart rate and blood pressure, and improve mood and cognitive function.

Spending time in nature also reduces mental fatigue, giving your overstimulated mind a chance to rest and reset. Plus, the vastness of nature can remind you of the bigger picture. It can create a sense of awe and connection that makes personal struggles feel less overwhelming.

Here are some simple ways to connect with nature:

• Go for a walk in a park or forest and focus on your five senses.

• Practice grounding: stand barefoot in the grass, touch a tree, or sit with your back against a large rock or trunk.

• Observe small details: the shape of leaves, the rhythm of waves, and the way sunlight filters through branches.

• Try “sit spot” meditation: return to the same natural spot regularly to observe changes and build a relationship with the space.

Pets, on the other hand, can help you regulate your emotions and stay calm when you're under stress. Moreover, caring for a pet helps you create a routine and build discipline, which can serve as grounding elements when you don't feel well. So, just sit quietly with your pet when you need some soothing.

13. Keep a Journal to Process and Reflect

Journaling is a science-backed method that can help you process emotions and clear your mind. It can also help you untangle overwhelming thoughts, track your emotional patterns, and increase self-awareness.

Here are some types of journaling you can try when you need to stay positive:

• Stream-of-consciousness writing: let your thoughts flow freely without judgment or structure.

• Prompt-based reflection: use guiding questions to spark insight.

• Gratitude journaling: write down three things you’re grateful for each day, especially during difficult times; this will help you stay focused on the present and cultivate a positive mindset.

• Letters you don’t send: write to someone (even yourself) to express emotions that feel stuck.

14. Seek Professional Help When Needed

You don’t have to carry adversity alone or figure everything out by yourself. In fact, seeking help while handling adversity is one of the most courageous and self-respecting steps you can take!

A trained professional can help you validate your emotions, navigate the challenges you're facing, train your self-reflection skills, build a growth mindset, and even identify the people who could be part of your support system.

They can also give you the necessary tools to boost your self-confidence and channel your inner strength, whether you're dealing with a specific crisis or simply feeling stuck. Additionally, a therapist sees things objectively, so they can help you see patterns you may be too close to recognize.

Signs it might be time to seek support:

• You feel overwhelmed most of the time.

• You’re struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, or burnout.

• You’ve tried coping on your own but feel stuck in cycles.

• Your relationships, sleep, professional life, or health are being impacted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is adversity, and how to overcome it?

Adversity is any experience—internal or external—that disrupts your emotional balance, such as loss, illness, or self-doubt. You can overcome it by acknowledging your emotions, building supportive routines, seeking connection, and developing resilience through tools like self-reflection, therapy, or neurofeedback.

How to overcome struggles in life?

Start by validating your emotions, then take small, consistent steps to care for your mind and body, lean on trusted support, reframe your mindset, and stay disciplined even when motivation fades.

What are 10 examples of adversity?

Here are ten examples of adversity: grief, losing a job, chronic illness, burnout, anxiety, rejection, financial hardship, discrimination, life transitions, and natural disasters.

Why is leaning into support important during tough times?

Leaning into support is crucial during tough times, as healing thrives in relationships rather than isolation. Surround yourself with trusted friends and family, and you'll find the strength to overcome challenges together and move forward.

When should I seek professional help for dealing with adversity?

If you're feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope or reduce stress, it's time to seek professional help. Remember, reaching out for guidance is a strong step towards overcoming adversity and finding your way forward.