Why it is so important in difficult times to pay attention to yourself

Life is full of ups and downs. We've all experienced times that were difficult for us. After all, not everything can be a bed of roses. None of us is always In a good mood, full of energy, or super-balanced. Bad times are simply a part of life. But even in these difficult times, you can do something for yourself. It's actually especially important to take care of yourself during challenging times. Find out why here.

Perception of changes

New and unfamiliar situations require a lot of energy. Changes – whether positive or negative, unwanted or desired, sudden or announced – always require Adjustment of ourselves to the new circumstances of our environment. This adaptation is easier when the changes are positive for us. We are full of anticipation and view the changes happening around us or within us as something good. Sometimes we are so focused on what is coming that we don't even notice the changes.

However, when we find ourselves in situations that have a negative impact on us or on what is important to us, we feel the process of change much more clearly. We desperately try to cling to what was and often plunge ourselves into negative Thought spiral We find ourselves in situations that are difficult to get out of. Suddenly there's so much to do, so much to accomplish, and we don't even know what to tackle first.

In difficult times and challenging situations, we tend to feel overwhelmed more quickly. Our brain is constantly on alert. We therefore increasingly focus on negative and potential dangers, making us feel even more like everything is going downhill. These "potential dangers" that our brain registers in difficult times were, of course, there before; however, we usually simply don't perceive them because we're directing our attention elsewhere. Focusing on negative things and thoughts initially happens automatically. However, we can consciously interrupt this automatic process. I'd like to elaborate a bit on this...

Do you know that?

"Everything was fine just a moment ago; so how can it be that suddenly everything is so different? How could this happen? Why do bad things happen to the people who don't deserve it? How will things ever get better? What can I do? Why is this happening? How can I avoid this situation in the future? Why didn't I see it coming? What did I do wrong?..."

The voice in our head

We're all familiar with these circular thoughts. The inner voice just won't stop asking the same questions and analyzing the same scenarios over and over again.

Our inner dialogue (or should I say “monologue”?) is continuous. We think and think and think. But you've probably also noticed that your inner voice is sometimes quieter, and other times louder. The voice is usually quiet when we are “in the flow,” when we are occupied with things that bring us joy or that come easily to us. The voice, on the other hand, becomes louder when we are dissatisfied with something. The brain registers that something is going wrong and immediately jumps into the “Survival mode”.Your ego awakens and uses the opportunity to really show you everything you've done wrong, what's wrong with you (or with others), and how everything is totally stupid. It practically plunges you into a mindset of scarcity.

But the ego actually means well. It just wants to ensure your survival. It's afraid that something might happen to you. Unfortunately, the ego's expressions are usually anything but gentle, sensitive, or forgiving. And so we find ourselves trapped in negative thought spirals.

Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash

How to deal with the ego

Of course, the "ego" isn't really a little nasty dwarf stomping around in your head, angrily shouting things to get your attention. But it helps to imagine the ego as a personification to distance yourself from it. Because that's exactly what can help you in such situations.

Of course, distancing ourselves from our own inner voice is only possible if we actually perceive it. Sometimes we get so lost in our thoughts that we believe we ARE the thoughts. But with a little practice, you'll quickly be able to stop yourself between two trains of thought and enter observer mode. You can do this particularly well with meditation practice.

If you have now noticed that you are thinking “ego thoughts”, then you can consciously say “Okay, stop – I am thinking right now, but I am not my thoughts. I can consciously distance myself from what I think. I see my thoughts as clouds passing by. They come and go.” So you can see yourself as the consciousness recognize which behind stands by the thoughts and merely observes them.

Tension in the body

Our body also notices our tension. stress leads to increased adrenaline production. This initially provides energy, but in the long run exhausting and unhealthyDuring stressful times, we tend to get sick more often (the stress weakens our immune system) and experience more psychosomatic complaints. These can manifest themselves in headaches or stomachaches, for example. Stress is a major cause of physical ailments much more often than we think! Therefore, it's especially important during such times to give ourselves breaks and consciously combat this stress, for example, using relaxation techniques.

In this blog article you will find various exercises for stress reduction in general.

As we've shown, stressful, unfamiliar, and unpleasant phases of life are not only a physical strain for us, but above all, a mental one as well. During such times, our brains search for potentially dangerous stimuli and are therefore constantly on alert. Added to this are our revolving thoughts that don't allow us any respite. And changes in our environment, to which we must adapt, can also pose a challenge.

For all these reasons, it is important that we take special care of ourselves and treat ourselves with care during difficult times.Us a Treat them a little bit like we would treat a small child – patiently, leniently and with a huge portion of love.

In the this article in the “Mindfulness && Spirituality” I present to you concrete exercises and coping strategies Prepare for difficult times. As soon as the post is online, I'll link it here.

Until then: take care and be well! ❤️(So ​​that your inner dwarf stays as relaxed as possible… 😋)

Photo by Dorota Dylka on Unsplash

If you would like to learn more about mindfulness, healthy eating or sustainability, take a look here over.