Doing Our Best During Tough Times

Sometimes, life feels peaceful. Things are going well and everything is in harmony.

Other times, it feels chaotic. There are a million different deadlines that are all competing for the top spot on our to-do list. Our emotions take over. We jump to every worst case scenario. We feel useless, tired, and anxious.

If this resonates, welcome to being human. Recognizing that everyone feels this way from time to time helps us feel normal. We’re not alone in our feelings. In fact, it’s a shared human experience.

But we don’t have to be stuck in the chaos forever. A few simple physical activities can help bring us to a better place.

Take a deep breath. Then another one, and another one.
Laugh at anything or everything. Call up a friend or watch your favorite show.
Exercise and move your body. If you’re able to go outside and be in nature or sunshine, even better.

These simple activities help clear your mind to sharpen your thinking. After reaching in, we can reach out.

Ask for clarity when there is ambiguity.
Reach out for help to divide the work amongst a group.
Talk to others who have done this work before to ask about what lessons they’ve learned along the way.

This list is by no means perfect, but humans aren’t perfect either. We might make a mistake or forget to do something. Learn from the experience and move on. Learn to let it go.

We can’t do it all, but we can do our best. With practice, our best will get better over time.