There will be times in our lives where we feel defeated. It might feel like we’re catching one bad break after another, and the negatives just won’t stop coming.
In these moments, it might feel nearly impossible to keep holding onto hope and keep a positive attitude. At these times, though, staying positive is the most important thing you can do.
This week has been a rough one for me. I know I say that a lot, but this week has been one piece of bad news after another, all of which were completely out of my control. Typically when I have bad weeks, it has to do with my own mental health. This week, though, has been all external factors.
The week started out with a bad migraine, which turned out to be Covid-related. I’m currently in quarantine, which means missing work. I lost out on three shifts during the slow season, missed two meetings at my other job, and did a podcast—virtually, of course—with barely any voice. I also missed a therapy session because I wasn’t feeling well. My dog also wound up getting a stomach bug, and to top it all off, I had adopted a second dog that wound up not working out because he didn’t get along with the dog I already have. I had to give up this sweet boy to whom I wanted to give a loving, forever home, but after the second time he (unintentionally) injured my dog, I realized it simply wasn’t a good fit. After all of that happening within one week, I’m obviously feeling pretty defeated.
I’ve had a really tough few days, but even though it might feel like the world is out to get me, I have to keep reminding myself to hold onto hope. Things will get better, and it won’t always feel like this. Bad things happen sometimes, and it feels terrible in the moment. It won’t last, though.
It’s so easy to dwell on the negatives when they come up. That’s one thing I know I struggle with, and it’s something I’ve been working on in therapy. When something bad happens, I have a tendency to feel like it’s going to be bad forever and that this one bad thing will ruin the rest of my life. It won’t, and I know deep down that it won’t. It still doesn’t make it easier to deal with in the moment, though, and that’s okay. This week, I’m working on allowing myself to feel what I’m feeling while also recognizing when my thoughts become irrational. It’s hard work, but I can recognize a clear difference from before I started therapy. Six months ago, if I had had a week like this, I would have had an emotional breakdown and thought my life was over. After working on myself and recognizing that the bad things in life are not permanent, I can see that things will be okay again. I just have to keep holding on and waiting it out.
Next time you have a bad week, remind yourself to keep your head up. You will get through it, and things will be okay again. It might take some time and patience, but that’s what life is all about. We all have our ups and our downs, but we will make it through.
As always, stay safe + stay healthy.
Xo,
Kayla W