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How to Remain Positive and Productive During Difficult Times
Times get tough, and I’m not just talking about right now. We’ve all been through difficult times in life, present party included. I’ve faced health issues, financial hardship, bankruptcy, potential foreclosure on my home, heartbreak, and loss. These are things that could’ve cause me to go into a massive tailspin and drop off the face of the earth. Thankfully, they didn’t.
When you’re going through one of life’s storms, or is some cases a tsunami generating earthquake/hurricane spawning tornado torrential downpour, you’re less inclined to engage with others and life in general. You want to go into complete shutdown mode, pull the covers over your head and call it a day. It can be next to impossible to motivate yourself to do anything. You lose your sense of self-esteem and confidence. You experience disappointment, guilt, shame, and often times depression. Sometimes, just the mere thought of getting out of bed in the morning can be painful.
When you go through a major context shift in life - divorce, job loss, financial hardship, global pandemic — the activities you used to enjoy become less enjoyable or desirable. This results in a viscous cycle of reduced activity and low mood. You start doing less, so you feel more isolated. Then you withdraw more, and have fewer opportunities of enjoyment or positive…
