How to Stay Calm in Challenging Times

Going through tough times is a part of life. Sometimes, life can feel like a maze filled with challenges, where you have to make difficult decisions. These decisions can overwhelm you, make you lose focus, and leave you feeling hopeless. Start solving this problem by finding ways to immediately ease emotional tension. Learning to handle your emotions helps reduce internal conflict and stress. Accept that difficult times happen to everyone. The solutions provided here will help you feel stronger, more capable, and ready to face future challenges.

Practice deep breathing exercises. The first step to staying calm during tough times is to relax both your mind and body so you can think clearly and tackle the challenges you're facing. Breathing is your loyal ally. Let your body supply oxygen to relax your muscles and deliver oxygen to your brain. By focusing on your breath, you're allowing both your mind and emotions to rest and recharge.

• You can practice deep breathing anywhere: at work, at home, in your car, while washing dishes, in the shower, or any time you feel anxiety creeping in.
• If possible, try to focus on breathing with your diaphragm.

Try taking a hot bath. Hot water helps to ease the built-up tension in your muscles during stressful moments. Make sure to pay attention to your body and keep your limbs, muscles, and bones as relaxed as possible.

Do some light stretching. Release tension in your body by moving. Shake your arms and legs and do some gentle stretches. Never overexert yourself and ensure that you're not putting pressure on yourself that causes pain or discomfort. The goal is to calm down and relax your body, not to create additional stress.

Try the tapping technique. Tapping, or Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), involves tapping on acupressure points to release stress or overwhelming emotions.

• Identify the issue that's causing you stress.
• Find the points on your body to tap. Some of these points include:
  • The outer edge of your hand, the soft part.
  • The top of your head.
  • Between your eyebrows.
  • The outer edge of your eye socket.
  • Under your nose (philtrum).
• Use two fingers to tap gently on one of these points. Tap approximately five times on that point, then move on to the next one.
• Repeat affirmations of self-confidence. For instance, as you tap, say to yourself: “Even though I feel like I might cry any minute, I truly trust myself completely.”

Try visualization exercises. One of the easiest ways to relax your mind is through a simple visualization technique where you count down from 10 to 1. Similar to breathing exercises, this technique can be done anywhere, and you just need to visualize the numbers in your mind. Start at 10 as you take a deep belly breath. Exhale as you count 9. As you visualize the numbers getting smaller, imagine them moving from the top down through your body.

• Pay attention to where you're feeling tension in your muscles and let your breath and focus on the numbers release that tension.

Create a memory box to hold items that remind you of your strength. Connect with symbols or images that bring comfort or a sense of security. You can place anything in the box that inspires you to keep going and maintain your calm. Feeling strong and empowered can help you stay grounded in tough times.

• For example, a teddy bear might represent safety and comfort, or there may be certain movies that inspire you. Perhaps an image of a famous figure reminds you to stay strong in the face of adversity. Looking at photos of your children or loved ones can make you feel empowered.

Remember to reward yourself. Give yourself credit for overcoming difficult times. Moderation is key, but it's okay to treat yourself for staying calm. Go watch a movie or take a walk in the park. Rewarding yourself after a challenge helps regulate your emotions and maintain your composure.

• Studies show that developing flexibility to shift focus from difficulties to things you enjoy is important for managing negative emotions.

Keep an emotional journal. Releasing your emotions is a great way to stay calm during tough times. You may feel angry, helpless, fearful, sad, distressed, or ashamed when life presents you with difficult tasks. When emotions are suppressed, they amplify fear and become uncontrollable. Learning to appreciate your emotions will also help you understand how to handle them.

• Use a journal to write down things that help you release your emotions, and always remember that, no matter how painful they may seem, emotions are temporary and they will pass. You are a whole being, and the best way to release emotions is to identify them and write what works best for you in your journal.

Express your anger safely. Use your emotional journal to list all the people, things, situations, social pressures, financial issues, and other factors that make you angry. Write them down on pieces of paper and tear them up. Try to focus on the anger, notice where you feel it in your body, and whether there are any things that trigger your anger. Visualize intentionally releasing that anger as you tear up the papers.

• In fact, experts do not recommend expressing anger by smashing things or resorting to violent actions to release it. Such behaviors can increase the anger rather than calm it.
• Exercise is also a great way to release pent-up anger. Some studies show that running or doing aerobic exercises can help calm you down after experiencing unpleasant emotions. This is due to the release of endorphins, a natural chemical that boosts your mood.
• Check out other articles in this section for more ways to express anger safely and healthily.

Write about your sadness in a journal. Use your emotional journal to write about what’s making you feel sad in your current situation. Are you hurt by someone’s actions or by something that happened? Are you sad about missing an opportunity? Are you simply feeling down because of the tough times you’re going through? Write as much as you can, remembering that every emotion, no matter how big or small, is valuable.

Allow yourself to cry. When you're feeling sad, crying is one of the best ways to release those emotions. If you feel more comfortable being alone, find a private space like your room, in the car, or while taking a shower. Focus on where the sadness resides in your body and let yourself feel it as fully as possible. Sometimes, watching a sad movie or listening to a song that evokes sadness can also help.

• In your emotional journal, write about how you feel sadness, where in your body you feel it, and what helps you tap into those emotions. Sadness often appears during difficult times—acknowledge it courageously and allow yourself to release it.

Recognize your fear. Fear is probably the strongest emotion that interferes with staying calm in tough situations. Fear is just another emotion, like any other. By accepting fear for what it is and acknowledging it as you would with other emotions, you can gradually face it. Fear often appears in your mind as thoughts like: 'I can’t do this,' 'I’m afraid of change,' or 'I fear what will happen.' The truth about fear is that it is often linked to the future.

• In your emotional journal, write down everything you’re worried about in relation to the challenging situation you’re facing. Then, note any possible outcomes you foresee, whether positive or negative. You should also write down any changes in your life that you fear making. Document the reasons why these changes cause you fear.
• Continue writing until you uncover the root of your fear. Release the emotions at a level where you can manage them and at least recognize the choices that can help you remain calm. You can’t remove difficult situations from life, but understanding your fear will help ease it.

Consider ways to manage your fear. After thoroughly understanding what causes your fear in your journal, you can begin taking steps to address it. The first step is recognizing that fear is a natural human response; everyone experiences fear to some degree. For anxiety, the only way to overcome it is to embrace it and gradually work through it. Then, use your journal to find approaches to tackle your fear and overcome it.

• For example, imagine you're frustrated with your job because you never receive praise, yet you're afraid to speak about it. Just thinking about talking to your boss makes you anxious.
• Investigate why you fear it. Is it because your boss tends to ignore others' opinions, and you're afraid he won’t listen to you? Do you lack confidence in speaking to leaders? Are you afraid that suggesting a praise system will make you seem demanding and risk your job? Identifying the cause of your fear will help you take the next step.
• Once you understand why you fear it, consider different approaches to handle the situation. For example, if you lack confidence speaking to your boss, you could practice with a friend. Write down the words you want to say to your boss in a way that aligns with what you want and what you fear the outcome might be. Then, rehearse with your friend. This is a safe approach to solving the issue and building confidence.
• Be patient with yourself. Confronting fear is a lifelong learning process, and it may take time to overcome the fears you're facing.

Practice meditation. Meditation encourages you to embrace the present moment of life without judgment. This practice helps you realize how strong you really are. Numerous studies show that regular meditation benefits both mental and physical health, from reducing heart rates and boosting the immune system to improving emotional states like calmness and well-being. Meditation also helps regulate how your brain responds to stress. There are various forms of meditation, but the most widely researched is mindfulness meditation.

• If you can’t find a local meditation class, there are many online courses available. The UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center offers downloadable MP3 guided meditation sessions.
• Additionally, several mobile apps provide guided meditation exercises and short meditation sessions.
• Of course, Mytour has numerous articles that can help you learn how to meditate.

Try mindfulness techniques. Mindfulness has been scientifically proven to help you achieve calm and relaxation, improve relationships, enhance empathy, and even reduce blood pressure.

• In the United States, the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley offers a website full of mindfulness techniques you can try in your daily life.
• You can practice many mindfulness exercises in just a few minutes each day. For example, the next time you have a snack, eat it slowly. Focus on every detail of the experience, using all your senses. What do you smell, see, hear, taste, and touch? Does it feel the same as when you eat other foods? Can you feel the food as it moves down your throat into your stomach? Paying attention to the small things will help you practice mindfulness in daily life.

Encourage yourself by reviewing past achievements. Life presents both big and small challenges. In your emotional journal, write down how you feel – sad, angry, fearful, embarrassed – and how you handled those emotions. Record your reactions, what you did, and how you managed the situation.

• Write about the achievements you're proud of. Recall the last time you made someone smile. List the personality traits you like about yourself, what makes you brave, and the moments you showed patience. Add to this list every day.

Create affirmations for your inner strength. Be comfortable with the idea that you know your own power and are confident that, no matter the outcome, you will overcome it in life, even if it takes time. Write small affirmations like: 'I am stronger than I think,' or something similar. Place these affirmations by your bed or bathroom mirror as reminders.

Turn negative thoughts into positive affirmations. It’s easy to fall into self-pity and think things like: 'I deserve this,' or 'It’s because I’m incompetent.' Stay calm during tough times by recognizing your self-worth. Cultivating healthy emotions about your true value will help you remain strong when life is challenging.

• List all the negative thoughts you have about yourself related to the situation and transform them into realistic, positive statements. Phrases like 'Everything in my life always fails' can erode your sense of self-worth. Try replacing them with thoughts like: 'Life is full of challenges. Everyone faces tough times. There have been times in my life when things went smoothly.' You can even list past successes just to remind yourself!

Maintain a gratitude journal. Having a healthy, broad perspective on what truly matters in your life can help you remain calm during turbulent times. Understanding yourself and your place in life provides a solid foundation for staying calm in difficult situations.

• In your emotional journal, list things you're grateful for. Write about the things you appreciate each day, whether big or small. Perhaps you noticed a patch of grass that was greener than usual. Write it down in your gratitude journal. Maybe today you didn’t give up and faced a challenge in the best way you could. Sometimes not giving up is the best thing we can do. Write: 'Today, I didn’t give up' in bold and feel proud of yourself.
• If this practice helps, observing the outdoors can provide you with a perspective on the strange world, the mysteries of life, and the beauty of everything around us. Be stronger when you understand that humans have the ability to survive all difficult situations, and you are one of those people.

Find the meaning of resilience. An effective way to navigate through difficult times is to find meaning in your resilience and adversity. Use a journal to write down the lessons you've learned from the hardships you're going through. Document the moments that have made you brave, what you've gained, and how you’ve chosen to grow from those experiences. Write down what keeps you moving forward. Jot down the reasons why you chose your particular way of handling life’s difficulties.

• Why did you decide to find a way to stay calm and handle challenges? Is it because of your children? For yourself? For the people you care about? For your pets? Or because you need life? Personalizing your own meaning will help you focus and stay calm when struggling through life’s tough moments.

Rest plenty. Taking care of yourself during tough times to recharge and stay healthy is essential. Even if you're struggling to sleep, make sure to at least lie down, close your eyes, and rest. Appreciate that your body and mind have been working overtime to cope with stress, and you need time to recuperate and recover.

Adopt healthy eating habits. Some people cope with stress by either eating too little or overeating. Keep a journal with you to track your meals. There are also apps available for computers or mobile devices that can help ensure you're consuming enough calories without overindulging due to stress.

• Focus on consuming healthy foods that are beneficial for both your body and mind, such as fruits, vegetables, protein, and whole grains.

Exercise. Engaging in physical activity can clear your mind and reduce stress. Even a 10-minute walk can help alleviate tension. Dancing is also highly beneficial for both your mental and physical well-being.

• Take a 10-minute walk. Try a short jog. Move your body to get the blood flowing and reduce stress.

Utilize your support network. If you have friends or loved ones you can trust, lean on them to help you through tough times. Let them know you need assistance and open up about your feelings.

Consider seeing a therapist. Staying calm during challenging times can sometimes lead to emotional overload. You may find yourself losing control of your emotions or snapping at others. You might experience serious sleep disturbances. If you're unable to manage, it may be time to seek help from a therapist. If you're persistently feeling depressed, sad, or hopeless, affecting your ability to carry out daily tasks, talk to a therapist. They can provide guidance and help you find the calm you need.