When you've experienced a difficult time in your life, what specific strategies have helped you cope? Aside from the obvious - attending to your personal grooming, going to sleep at close to your usual time, making sure you nourish yourself - were any other of your normal routines particularly helpful to you during those times? If yes, please pick one of those routines and tell me what it was about it that helped you. Be as specific as possible.
If you don't recall any other normal routines that were particularly helpful to you or, you have trouble identifying how one of those routines helped you cope better, I'm guessing one of your strategies was having regular contact with others. I'm not sure of much. I am sure this moment that the benefit of contact with others during difficult times is impossible to measure.
About Me
- Pat Barton
- My most recent single release - "My True North" - is now available on Bandcamp. Open my profile and click on "audio clip".
Normal routines are anything but normal these days. However, depending on the circumstance that resulted in the difficult time, I sometimes find that being alone with my thoughts helps. Trying to figure out the cause of the difficulty. Or the reasons why I'm finding it to be so difficult. Each of these things do help - to varying degrees depending on situation. Not sure if this is a strategy or just a coping mechanism, but, at times, it does seem to help.
ReplyDeleteI've also found since becoming a grandfather that being around my, soon to be 4 year old, twin grandsons, or my 7 year old grandson, is a cure-all for anything that may be ailing me. It's amazing how much joy they have brought, and continue to bring, into my life. Whenever this is possible for someone, I highly recommend this.
Anonymous; Thanks for the thoughtful comment. I agree being alone with your thoughts can sometimes be helpful. My struggle when using that strategy/coping mechanism is knowing when I've spent enough time there so I don't end up wallowing; such is the dilemma of being an introspective type. As far as grandchildren, I've heard many people - including some very close to me - say similar things. I envy you and others who have that source of immense joy in your life. I hope I might someday join the ranks of that lucky group called grandparents.
ReplyDeleteHey Uncle Pat. The biggest thing that helps me is getting outside, as you've seen. I find the sights and sounds of nature to be very calming. I also combine that with exercise. So I go for a walk or a run and listen to the environment and let my thoughts run along with my steps. That gives me great clarity a lot, and I tend to take better care of myself if I am on a regular exercise routine. Many benefits to this :)
ReplyDeleteGina; That tried and true strategy works for me sometimes too. I'm glad you have it in your toolbox and especially glad you chose this moment to tell me how well it works for you.
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