How to be emotionally stable? Psychological resilience: how to be prepared for anything

How to be emotionally stable? Psychological resilience: how to be prepared for anything

There are people who almost always know how to act with restraint and thoughtfulness, without succumbing to emotions even in moments of severe shock. This turns out precisely because of the presence of emotional stability. It means the ability to find solutions in any situation, and also not to succumb to the surging negativity. Thanks to this quality, a person can receive good results activities throughout life, regardless of the circumstances.

To be emotionally stable - how is it?

Personal resistance to influences on the emotional background is achieved through the ability to resist unfavorable factors. Every time after a failure, when returning to a normal state, a person becomes stronger, since he has already experienced something difficult. Many people are familiar with people who have survived a very difficult life situation and at the same time remained self-sufficient individuals, ready for further development. It is emotional stability that saves such “lucky” people.

Rice. How to develop emotional stability?

It is worth remembering that you may not be able to successfully overcome difficulties the first time; to do this, you need to work on yourself. Also, emotional stability does not manifest itself in all situations. Even the most strong man may be overwhelmed by something insignificant. Each individual man walking on his own path, in which he chooses the methods of his development, therefore one should not mindlessly imitate strong personalities.

What can you do to develop emotional stability?

To do this, you will need to follow several rules. Build them into your behavior and they will begin to work for you, creating a kind of invisible shield from any shocks.

1. Know your weaknesses! If you already for a long time suffer from insecure behavior, then, while realizing that in this moment You have an unprotected spot on your “emotional body.” Start writing down your weak sides and make efforts to strengthen your personality.

2. Develop! Understanding your shortcomings should motivate you to take action to improve your quality of life. Think about what you need to develop at the moment and get to work. At the same time, forget about postponing things until tomorrow! You need to get started today!

3. Put things in order in your head! All the thoughts that a person has every day determine his behavior, mood and quality of life in general, so you don’t need to neglect what’s going on in your head. Imagine that all thoughts are musical compositions, and the brain is a player. What should you usually do if you don't like a song? Of course, remove it! Replace negativity with positive thoughts that create aspirations and good mood. It is absolutely impossible to forget serious problems; it is better to write down everything that requires correction and make efforts to overcome specific troubles.

4. Embrace bad days. Any bad set of circumstances should be a reason to change your behavior. Only in this case will it be possible to achieve positive results. Sometimes this can be very difficult to do, but tomorrow you will thank yourself for showing the willpower today.

5. In addition, talk about your feelings to other people, accept difficulties as a normal part of life, develop optimism and help other people cope with their troubles. A new hobby can also affect your emotional stability. But remember also about physical development, since poor health sometimes becomes the cause of depressive thoughts.

6. The main rule is to remember that resistance to emotional shocks can solve many of your problems . By addressing this thought daily, you will increase your motivation to develop emotional resilience. And as you know, and of course, perseverance in achieving the goal.

And if emotions control a person, can he be an effective manager (manager)?

I will give you situations that are familiar to everyone. Morning, meeting. The boss screams, his face is red, distorted with righteous anger, he can hardly find words that replace the Russian language that everyone understands. Employees listen not because they like it, but because their salary depends on the manager. But response emotions are born inside, there are words that the inner voice pronounces without any censorship, since they will not be spoken out loud. As a result, negatively emotionally charged employees go to clients and splash out on them all the contents of their mental basement in the form of emotions. Clients are dissatisfied, they are outraged, so they emotionally convey their indignation at poor service to that same boss.

Morning, meeting. The boss screams... And so every day. Business is collapsing, health is going away. But there’s nothing you can do about it – emotions! Or is there something that can be done? At least think about it.

The boss screams because he is sad to see customers take their money elsewhere.
According to the theory of psychologists W. James and K. G. Lange,
The boss is sad because he shouts.
Another understanding of the situation:
The boss shouts to
To influence employees
and he feels bitter and bad for that,
for it to work.

Oddly enough, it works; every time a negative experience is successfully acquired, leading to the collapse of the business and the loss of the last remnants of health. So, we thought, is it true that nothing can be changed? After expressing such thoughts to one nice girl, the head of the sales department of a large chain store, she said: “After these thoughts, the question hung in the air!” Fine. Sometimes questions are more important than answers; while we are thinking, there is a chance to change everything for the better.

Another situation. It so happens that girls at work “relate” more than they work. It is important for them who came in what, what news in their personal lives, who left whom, how they painted their hair, and they definitely need to sort out the relationship with the one who dared to come to work in the same shoes as mine. The entire attitude is conveyed through rich, often negative emotions, and by lunchtime the emotions are so heightened that work fades into the background. Clients get in the way because a lot of unspoken things are boiling inside, and they have their own problems.

· Who works in women's team, he can imagine it.

Of course, this is not always the case and not everywhere, but it does happen. Behind all this rejection and showdown are different reasons. But when the management tries to restore order, the scandalous young ladies give an ironclad argument from their point of view, for example this: “after she told me this, I simply could not restrain myself and exploded!” Which translated means, after hearing some words, she abdicated her responsibility to be a decent person and allowed herself to be an emotional bully.

· Because when emotions came, they began to lead the person, and not he them.

And if the manager believes in the sacred right of his subordinates to make trouble, and not to work, hiding behind surging emotions, then the prospects for business prosperity become very vague.

I guess, that good manager, this is an emotionally stable manager. Why is that? The answer is simple. Negative emotions are expensive. Firstly, in in monetary terms, secondly, the most precious thing - health - is wasted. Customers often take their money where they are welcome, even if they buy worse products than from a gloomy and unfriendly seller, but offering a better product. A simple truth, a smile, friendliness, joy - money attracts. Other emotions and states – anger, irritation, inattention, money “scare away”. Since consciousness and body are very connected systems, then negative emotions have a strong impact on deteriorating health. If there is constant negativity in the head, and emotions of irritation and anger on the face, then over time, the person acquires the appearance that he deserves. A mask “Don’t get in, he’ll kill you!” appears on your face, your body becomes like a transformer box, your head is constantly buzzing, because it’s hard to carry a lot of negative experiences inside of you. Such people no longer think about successful, effective, beautiful life- to survive. And any employer tries to get rid of such people, because they cannot work effectively.

But if negative emotions that interfere with work are just a habit, what to do?

You can learn to manage your emotions in Sinton at the training “The World of Emotions: Managing Yourself”

As Epictetus said: “What remedy can be found against habit? The opposite habit."

Having control over your emotions is as good a habit as brushing your teeth in the morning, washing your face, saying “hello!” Once we were small children and did not know how to do any of the above, but we learned. The good news is that it's never too late to start managing your emotions. Especially if you understand how it can be profitable.

A wild cat, falling into a trap, remains silent. Because it’s profitable. She knows that if she screams in the forest, she will quickly be eaten in the wild world of forest competition. Step on the tail of a domestic cat and it will scream. A domestic cat will not survive in the forest; it hopes that it will always be taken care of, fed, looked after, protected. The essence of emotions is such that managing them leads to success, lack of control leads to dependence and failure.

The world of business is a wild forest of competition, with its own laws, rules, and justice. Only those who can control their condition, their emotions, their life survive in it. Trainings that will also help you survive and understand the world of business are collected in the sections “

    Stop and focus. When emotions overwhelm us, it is very difficult to understand what we are feeling. If the emotion is positive, we feel great, but when sadness and anxiety overwhelm us, such feelings can quickly spiral out of control. Stop and focus on your five senses. This will help you better control your anxiety or anger.

    Breathe. When you experience strong emotions, your body may react accordingly. The fight-or-flight feeling occurs when your sympathetic nervous system activated by hormones such as adrenaline. Your heart rate and breathing increase, and your muscles become tense. Breathe deeply to relax and return to normal.

    Visualize. This is a calming and relaxing technique that will help you control your emotions. Visualization takes practice, but it will help you transform negative thoughts into positive ones.

    • Start by selecting " safe place" This can be any quiet, safe and relaxing place you can imagine. For example, a beach, a spa, a mountain peak.
    • Find a place where you can practice visualization. It should be quiet and comfortable. You shouldn't be interrupted there for a few minutes.
    • Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a safe place. Imagine what it looks like. What is happening there? What smells do you smell? What sounds do you hear?
    • Breathe slowly and evenly. Try to relax your muscles if they are tense. If you feel awkward or anxious, don't judge yourself for it. Just try to imagine yourself in a calming environment and relax.
    • Try to imagine negative emotions as a material object. It will be awkward at first, but don't stop trying. Imagine negative feelings as something you can release in an imaginary safe place. For example, imagine that your anger is a flame. Fire cannot burn without oxygen. Imagine your anger as a flame and watch it go out. Or think of stress as a stick. Throw the stick away from your safe place and imagine that the stress has disappeared.
  1. Kindness towards yourself. This is the opposite of self-criticism. We are often taught to strive for perfection and that lack of perfection is failure. However, it is better to view yourself (and other people) as an “imperfect” person. Research has shown that perfectionism prevents people from achieving success.

    • You will be emotionally stable if you treat yourself as someone close to you. For example, if your close person makes a mistake, you will most likely forgive him. Do the same for yourself.
  2. Universality. This is the opposite of self-isolation. You may think that you are the only one who is hurt by mistakes and losses (as if other people don't make mistakes). Common humanity is the recognition that pain and suffering are common to all people; this way you will judge yourself less harshly.

    Mindfulness. This is the opposite of egocentrism. Instead of denying or focusing on negative emotions Mindfulness will allow you to recognize and accept all your feelings as they are.

    Think about the “best me” image. Research has shown that such visualization leads to positive feelings. Creating this image requires the following: Imagine yourself in the future when you have achieved your goals, and think through the personality traits that will allow you to achieve your goals.

    • Start by imagining a time in the future in which your image will be. Think about the most important personality traits (it is important that the image is created by you, and not under the pressure of other people).
    • Imagine a positive image. Imagine every little detail. You can think of it as a dream, a life milestone, or a big goal. For example, if your image is of a successful entrepreneur, imagine it in detail. How many employees do you have? What kind of boss are you? How hard do you work? What do you sell?
    • Write down the details of this visualization. Think about what characteristics your image has. In our example, the entrepreneur must be creative and tenacious and have the ability to solve problems and make connections.
    • Remember what traits you already possess. You might be surprised! Then think about what traits need developing. Imagine how you can acquire the necessary skills.
    • It is very important that such visualization does not turn into self-judgment. Don't judge yourself for the qualities you have or don't have at the moment! Instead, focus on the image of the person you want to become.
  3. Don't take things personally. You can't control other people's thoughts or actions, but you can control your own reactions to other people's behavior. Remember that in most cases, what other people say or behave has nothing to do with you. By taking things personally, you allow other people to dominate you.

Creating and following healthy habits

    Start your day with self-affirmation. It will help you with self-compassion. When you brush your teeth or get ready for work, repeat a phrase that is meaningful to you.

    • For example, say something like, “I accept myself for who I am,” or, “I love myself.”
    • if you have weak spots, for example, you are anxious or thinking about your body, focus on them while asserting yourself. For example, if you feel anxious, repeat, “I will do my best. I can't do more. I can't control other people's actions." If you're thinking about your body, try focusing on something positive: "Today I will be kind to my body because I deserve kindness," or "Today I look happy and healthy."
  1. This key moment with the development of emotional stability. Believing that you are a unique and worthy person will help you control your emotions. When you encounter difficulties, remind yourself that you are capable of overcoming them.

    Develop “emotional endurance.” You can increase your emotional resilience by focusing on positive emotions such as compassion and gratitude. Such emotions will help you understand that many fears and anxieties are not only inherent in you, but also in other people.

    Empathize with other people. This will help you build strong, healthy relationships. Also, with the help of empathy, you can better control your emotions.

    Learn to accept uncertainty calmly. Uncertainty frightens many people and therefore causes emotional problems. If you cannot tolerate uncertainty, you will worry constantly, avoid uncertain situations, and become dependent on others for reassurance. Remember that uncertainty is inevitable in everyone's life. You will strengthen your emotional resilience if you learn to embrace uncertainty.

    Don't think about the same things. Such rumination is a common reaction to some emotions, especially sadness or anger. When a person thinks about the same thing, he becomes obsessed - he thinks about specific situation, thought or feeling over and over again (similar to a broken record). Rumination prevents you from finding a solution to a problem. You can also become trapped in a cycle of negative thinking, which often leads to depression and stress.

    Replace negative thoughts with productive ones. Often a person ruminates on one negative thought. Instead, get rid of negative thoughts altogether! Reframe negative thoughts into positive ones.

    • For example, if you recently broke up with your loved one, you may be wondering what went wrong. As a result, you may come to the conclusion that everything is your fault. In such a situation, people often begin to wonder, “What if...” and begin to feel that nothing is working out in their lives.
    • Instead, try focusing on productive, realistic thinking. For example: “My relationship with this person is over. I didn't want this, but I can build it a good relationship with another person. To do this, I will use the experience I have gained.”
  2. Learn to solve problems. Rumination often focuses on abstract, intractable questions such as: “Why does this always happen to me?” - or: “What happened to me?” Instead of such thoughts, focus on finding solutions to your problems.

How do people manage to survive psychological trauma? How is it that in situations where some people want to lie down and die, others demonstrate amazing resilience? Stephen Southwick and Dennis Charney spent 20 years studying people with inflexible character.

They spoke with Vietnamese prisoners of war, special forces instructors and those who had encountered serious problems with health, violence and trauma. They collected their discoveries and conclusions in the book “Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges.”

1. Be optimistic

Yes, the ability to see bright sides supports. What's interesting is that in this case This is not about “rose-colored glasses.” Truly resilient people who have to endure the most difficult situations and still go to the goal (prisoners of war, special forces soldiers) know how to maintain a balance between a positive outlook and a realistic view of things.

Realistic optimists take into account negative information that relates to the current problem. However, unlike pessimists, they do not dwell on it. As a rule, they quickly abstract from problems that are currently unsolvable and concentrate all their attention on those that they can solve.

And it was not only Southwick and Charney who identified this feature. When American journalist and writer Lawrence Gonzales studied the psychology of people who survived extreme situations, he found the same thing: they balance between a positive attitude towards the situation and realism.

The logical question is: how the hell do they do this? Gonzalez realized that the difference between such people is that they are realists, confident in their abilities. They see the world as it is, but they believe that they are rock stars in it.

Neuroscience says: the only one real way cope with fear - look it in the eye. This is exactly what emotionally stable people do. When we avoid scary things, we become even scarier. When we face our fears, we stop being afraid.

To get rid of the memory of fear, you need to experience that fear in a safe environment. And the exposure must be long enough for the brain to form a new connection: in this environment, the stimulus that causes fear is not dangerous.

Researchers hypothesize that suppressing fear entails increased activity in the prefrontal cortex and inhibition of fear responses in the amygdala.

This method has proven effective when used to treat anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias. Its essence is that the patient is forced to face fear face to face.

Medic and Special Forces instructor Mark Hickey believes that facing fears helps you understand them, keeps you on your toes, develops courage, and increases your sense of self-worth and control over the situation. When Hickey is scared, he thinks, “I’m scared, but this challenge will make me stronger.”

"Unbreakable: The Science of Confronting Life's Challenges"

3. Set your moral compass

Southwick and Charney found that emotionally stable people have a strong sense of right and wrong. Even when in a life-threatening situation, they always thought about others, not just themselves.

During the interviews, we realized that many resilient individuals had a strong sense of right and wrong, which strengthened them during periods of great stress and as they bounced back from shock. Selflessness, caring for others, helping without expecting a return benefit for oneself - these qualities are often the core of the value system of such people.

"Unbreakable: The Science of Confronting Life's Challenges"

4. Turn to spiritual practices

The main feature that unites people who were able to survive the tragedy.

Dr. Amad has found that religious faith is a powerful force through which survivors explain both the tragedy and their survival.

"Unbreakable: The Science of Confronting Life's Challenges"

But what if you are not religious? No problem.

The positive effect of religious activity is that you become part of a community. So you don't have to do anything that you don't believe in, you just have to be part of a group that builds your resilience.

The link between religion and resilience can be partly explained social aspects religious life. The word "religion" comes from the Latin religare - "to bind." People who regularly attend religious services gain access to a deeper form of social support than is available in a secular society.

"Unbreakable: The Science of Confronting Life's Challenges"

5. Know how to give and receive social support

Even if you are not part of a religious or other community, friends and family can support you. When Admiral Robert Shumaker was captured in Vietnam, he was isolated from other prisoners. How did he maintain his composure? He knocked on the cell wall. The prisoners in the next cell knocked in response. It was ridiculously simple, but it was these tappings that reminded them that they were not alone in their suffering.

During his 8 years in North Vietnamese prisons, Schamaker used his keen mind and creativity to develop a unique method of tapping communication known as Tap Code. This was a turning point, thanks to which dozens of prisoners were able to contact each other and survive.

"Unbreakable: The Science of Confronting Life's Challenges"

Our brain needs social support to function optimal mode. When you interact with others, oxytocin is released, which calms the mind and reduces stress levels.

Oxytocin reduces activity in the amygdala, which explains why support from others reduces stress.

"Unbreakable: The Science of Confronting Life's Challenges"

And it is necessary not only to receive help from others, but also to provide it. Dale Carnegie said, “You can make more friends in two months than in two years if you are interested in people instead of trying to interest them in you.”

However, we cannot always be surrounded by loved ones. What to do in this case?

6. Imitate strong personalities

What supports children who grow up in miserable conditions, but continue to live normal, fulfilling lives? They have role models who provide positive examples and support them.

Emmy Werner, one of the first psychologists to study resilience, observed the lives of children who grew up in poverty, in dysfunctional families with at least one parent who was an alcoholic, mentally ill, or violent.

Werner found that emotionally stable children who became productive, emotionally healthy adults had at least one person in their lives who was truly supportive and a role model.

Our research found a similar connection: Many people we interviewed said they had a role model—someone whose beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors inspired them.

"Unbreakable: The Science of Confronting Life's Challenges"

Sometimes it is difficult to find among your friends someone you would like to be like. This is fine. Southwick and Charney found that it is often sufficient to have negative example- a person you never want to be like.

7. Stay fit

Time and time again, Southwick and Charney found that the most emotionally stable people had a habit of keeping their bodies and minds in good shape.

Many of the people we spoke to exercised regularly and felt that being fit had helped them through tough times and while recovering from injury. It even saved the lives of some.

"Unbreakable: The Science of Confronting Life's Challenges"

What's interesting is maintaining physical fitness more important for emotionally more fragile people. Why?
Because the stress of exercise helps us adapt to the stress we will experience when life challenges us.

Researchers believe that during active aerobic training, a person is forced to experience the same symptoms that appear in moments of fear or excitement: rapid heart rate and breathing, sweating. After some time, a person who continues to exercise intensively can get used to the fact that these symptoms are not dangerous, and the intensity of the fear caused by them will gradually decrease.

"Unbreakable: The Science of Confronting Life's Challenges"

8. Train your mind

No, we do not encourage you to play as a couple logic games on the phone. Diehard people learn throughout their lives, constantly enrich their minds, strive to adapt to new information about the world around us.

In our experience, resilient people constantly seek opportunities to maintain and develop their mental abilities.

"Unbreakable: The Science of Confronting Life's Challenges"

By the way, in addition to perseverance, developing the mind has many more advantages.

Cathie Hammond, in her 2004 study at the University of London, concluded that lifelong learning has a comprehensive positive impact on mental health: provides good health, the ability to recover from psychological trauma, the ability to withstand stress, a developed sense of self-esteem and self-sufficiency and much more. Continuous learning developed these qualities through the expansion of boundaries, a process that is central to learning.

"Unbreakable: The Science of Confronting Life's Challenges"

9. Develop cognitive flexibility

Each of us has a way that we usually cope with difficult situations. But what sets the most emotionally resilient people apart is that they use multiple coping mechanisms.

Resilient people tend to be flexible - they look at problems from different perspectives and respond to stress differently. They do not stick to just one method of dealing with difficulties. Instead, they switch from one survival strategy to another depending on the circumstances.

"Unbreakable: The Science of Confronting Life's Challenges"

Which one is the best the right way coping that definitely works? Be tough? No. Ignore what's happening? No. Everyone mentioned humor.

There is evidence that humor helps overcome difficulties. Studies involving combat veterans, cancer patients, and surgical patients have shown that humor can reduce the intensity of a tense situation and is associated with resilience and the ability to tolerate stress.

"Unbreakable: The Science of Confronting Life's Challenges"

10. Find the meaning of life

Resilient people don't have a job - they have a calling. They have a mission and purpose that gives meaning to everything they do. And in difficult times, this goal pushes them forward.

According to Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's theory that work is one of the pillars of the meaning of life, the ability to see one's calling in one's work increases emotional stability. This is true even for people in low-skilled jobs (such as hospital cleaners) and for people who are unsuccessful in their chosen occupation.

"Unbreakable: The Science of Confronting Life's Challenges"

Summary: what will help strengthen emotional stability

  1. Be optimistic. Don't deny reality, look at the world clearly, but believe in your capabilities.
  2. Look your fears in the eye. Hiding in fear makes the situation worse. Look him in the face and you can step over him.
  3. Set your moral compass. A developed sense of right and wrong tells us what we should do and pushes us forward, even when our strength is running low.
  4. Be part of a group that believes strongly in something.
  5. Provide and receive social support: even tapping on the wall of the camera is supported.
  6. Try to live up to your role model or, on the contrary, keep in mind the person you do not want to become.
  7. Exercise: Physical activity adapts the body to stress.
  8. A lifelong learner, your mind must be sharp to come up with the right solutions when you need them.
  9. Deal with difficulties in different ways and remember to laugh even in the most dire situations.
  10. Fill your life with meaning: you must have a calling and purpose.

We often hear about post-traumatic mental disorders, but rarely about post-traumatic development. But it exists. Many people who have overcome difficulties become stronger.

Within a month, 1,700 people who had experienced at least one of these terrible events took our tests. To our surprise, people who experienced one terrible event were stronger (and therefore better off) than those who experienced none. Those who had to endure two difficult events were stronger than those who had to endure one. And those people who had three horrific events in their lives (for example, rape, torture, being held against their will) were stronger than those who experienced two.

“The path to prosperity. A New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being, Martin Seligman

It seems Nietzsche was right when he said: “What does not kill us makes us stronger.” And one of the interlocutors of Southwick and Charney said this: “I am more vulnerable than I thought, but much stronger than I ever imagined.”

There are people who, despite all their adversity, can find a solution to any problem, even one from which there seems to be no way out. They are said to be emotionally stable. What is it emotional stability. This is the ability of people to keep their heads up even on the hardest days of their lives. Despite all adversity, emotionally stable individuals stay on top in life, at work and in relationships with people. Overcoming new difficulties, they become stronger and more resistant to the next blows of fate. This does not mean that emotionally stable individuals stop experiencing pain. They simply don’t panic, but reason sensibly. Our emotional stability grows with every negative moment we experience.

Emotional stability able to adapt and quickly recover from every blow of fate, be it injury, illness, loss, accident, etc. This allows us to shape our will and character. Everyone's threshold for emotional stability is different. Some will simply sit down and be naughty, while others will try to find a solution to the problem. Although the same emotionally stable person can behave differently in different life situations. It all depends on the experience that comes to us over time. Each emotionally stable person has his own life experience. That’s why everyone has their own emotional stability. An emotionally stable person is not incapable of experiencing pain, he is simply able to control his emotions and recover quickly.

Emotional stability grows every year, as the moments go through. Developing emotional stability depends on certain things. What does a delta need to become an emotionally stable person?

Firstly, you need to learn to recognize your weaknesses and learn to overcome them.

Secondly, if your shortcomings prevent you from achieving your intended goal, then you need to start developing in yourself the qualities that you have.

Third, think about whether you have any thoughts that could interfere with the implementation of your plan. If there are any, then this is what you need to do. Imagine that your thoughts are songs that sound in your head. If you don't like the song, then you should definitely turn it off. The same should be done with negative thoughts. Of course, at first it will be very difficult to do this, but try to distract yourself from such thoughts: clean the house, go to the store, etc. Distract yourself every time you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts.

Fourth, sometimes all sorts of troubles happen to us, and everything immediately goes awry. On such days, everything depends on how you perceive these difficulties. There are people who let everything take its course; they think day and night that they are unable to cope with difficulties. And there are those who do not bury their heads in the sand, but begin to think further actions. in order to find a way out of this situation.

The environment around you and your social circle are the main factors that shape your emotional stability. Most importantly, talk about your problems with your loved ones, because they could be faced with a similar situation. They can help you with advice or simply support you, which is also very important. Look for everything that may be related to the current circumstances. This will help you better understand what is happening and help you find optimal solution.

Learn to accept situations that we cannot change. By providing assistance, you yourself increase your ability to cope with difficulties. Let your life take its course. Show everyone that no difficulties can break you. Do something new, let new interests fill your free time. Improve your physical health, exercise, and most importantly, don’t forget about rest and adequate sleep.