7 Things to Remember When You're Feeling Discouraged
6:00:00 PM
If you guys have seen my newest post schedule, you know that Friday's are dedicated to some type of encouraging post. Over the last few weeks, I have posted features, reviews, and verses of encouragement. Today, I wanted to do something different.
Every person has struggled with discouragement at some point in time. Unfortunately, we rarely know what to do with that emotion. If you're like me, you have trouble sleeping and a loss of appetite. When you finally are hungry, you're craving junk food and dessert.
As someone that struggles with anxiety and depression daily, I know how hard it can be to get out of a rut. That's why I've created a list of points to remember during this rough time.
1. Feeling this way is a sign to make a change.
Most often, if you are feeling discouraged it is because there needs to be some type of change in your life. It doesn't have to be a big change, but a change nonetheless. As Einstein once said, "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." If you keep trying the same things and you continue to fail, maybe it's time to change your process.
2. Even the tiniest step is progress.
No matter what, a step forward is progress. Every effort that you put towards your goals is a good thing. Just because you've made a mistake does not mean that you should quit or feel disheartened. You moved forward and that's all that matters.
3. It's ok to feel this way every once in a while, embrace your emotions.
It's true! I don't know anyone that hasn't felt discouraged before. It is important to experience the emotions you feel. Most often, creativity stems from your emotions. Artists and authors use those emotions to improve their work. You can also learn to use your negative emotions in a way that benefits you.
4. It's ok to forgive yourself.
I know it's cliché, but everyone makes mistakes. Once you have experienced and embraced your emotions, it's time to forgive yourself. You are human. You are going to make mistakes and that's okay! You are allowed to forgive yourself and you need to in order to move forward. Just like you need to forgive others, you also need to be able to forgive yourself. It's really that simple.
5. You cannot compare yourself to others.
This is easier said than done, but you CANNOT compare yourself to others. Everyone is going through a different journey in life. No one is going to get to the same place on the same path. You may be comparing yourself to someone else that has ten years more experience than you do. That is not fair to you. The only person you can compare yourself to is you. Compare your current self to your past self and then look at how much you've improved. Your accomplishments and your improvements are the only things that should matter.
6. It's ok to fail, as long as you're trying your best.
Just like everyone makes mistakes, everyone fails too. I don't know anyone that has mastered everything they have ever tried on their first attempt. Realistically, we are all going to fail at something. I am horrible at crocheting, but I wouldn't have figured that out without trying. I failed at my first 10 attempts and learned that it wasn't for me. I can honestly say though, that I gave it my best and then moved on. You should be happy as long as you are trying your best, just make sure you're not spending too much time on something that's not worth your time.
7. Failure is unavoidable.
This one piggybacks off of my last point, everyone fails. It is 100% unavoidable and that has to be ok with you. We can go into things hoping for the best, but that's not always what we get. In some cases you may try something once, excel at it, and realize it's your calling. Other times, you may try something and realize you're pretty much horrible at it. That's ok! No one expects you to be able to master everything, so you can't expect that from yourself either.
Disappointment is just a part of life that we all have to deal with. It's how we deal with it that matters. If you find yourself feeling disappointed or disheartened remember these seven points. You will get through this rut and you will be better for it!
Do you have any other tips that you would like to add? Write them in the comments!
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