Mental Health Matters: How To Handle Life's Most Stressful Situations

All of us strive to have peaceful, calm, and relatively worry-free lives. The problem is, very few people, if any at all, actually make this happen. Stress is an issue that all of us have to deal with at some point. Although it’s not actually a bad thing in small doses, it can become overwhelming when left unmanaged. This takes a toll on your physical and mental health, resulting in serious damage. A major life event often triggers the type of worry causing these problems. With that in mind, here are ten of life’s most stressful situations and advice on how you can cope.

1. Loved One’s Passing

Death affects people in many different ways. While some experience shock and sadness, others feel anger or guilt. Either way, the grief can turn your world upside down. This can lead to some very unhealthy coping mechanisms, which only make your stress worse. It’s important during the grieving period to take good care of yourself. Make sure that you eat well and get plenty of rest. There’s no easy or quick way to get over the pain, but talking about it can sometimes help.

2. Becoming A Parent

The joy of becoming a parent is something you can’t even begin to describe. However, whether you planned on getting pregnant or not, it’s absolutely terrifying too. After all, for almost two decades, you will be held responsible for keeping a whole other person healthy and happy. Plus, children can be challenging creatures. They’re demanding, argumentative, and keep you up all night. Thankfully, there is advice out there if you need it, as well as people willing to lend a hand.

3. Separation From Partner

No one begins a relationship expecting or hoping for it to end. When it does, therefore, you’re bound to feel pretty upset. This feeling is only going to get worse if you share a home, children, and pets with your partner. The only thing that you can do in this situation is try to remain civil. Avoid arguing, especially around the kids, and seek legal advice if you feel that you need it. You also shouldn’t bottle up your feelings. It won’t solve the issue and might make things worse.

4. Planning A Wedding

There is no better way to celebrate the love between you and your partner than a wedding. The trouble is, planning such a huge event can really take it out of you. If you’re worried about this, then the last thing that you should do is begin preparations at the last minute. Instead, give yourself several months or more. You should also consider hiring a wedding planner. Although this is an additional cost, it’s one that means you’ll have a lot less to worry about on the big day.

5. Moving Somewhere New

It doesn’t matter whether you’re moving halfway across the country or just down the road; The process is and always will be a difficult one. This situation is only made more troublesome when you have to sell your house and purchase a new one. Thankfully, there are plenty of experts that could lend you a hand, including real estate agents, professional movers, and conveyancing lawyers, Bannister Preston. Picking the right day to move will make the process smoother too.

6. Going To Prison

Going to prison is something that won’t happen to most people. However, for those that do find themselves in such a situation, it is far from easy. Often the best way to cope with imprisonment is making the best of it. You could set new goals for yourself, for example, and take up new hobbies. That being said, this is one of the most preventable stressful situations you’ll encounter throughout your life. With that in mind, you should obey the law to keep yourself out of prison.

7. Diagnosis Of Illness

Any type of major illness is a huge stressor, not just for you, but for your family too. It can limit your capacity to work and do all of the things that you enjoy to do. To get through this, you have to find new ways to occupy your time. Instead of focusing on the activities you can no longer do, you should adopt new hobbies that you’re excited about. You should also consult with doctors on possible treatment options and take care of your body by eating the right foods and sleeping.

8. Starting A Business

Being your own boss can definitely be rewarding, both emotionally and financially. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s going to be easy. Many new entrepreneurs enter the role expecting this to be the case, and, as such, are knocked back when they find how challenging it can be. You have to work longer and harder than ever before and might not make any money for quite some time. Because of this, it helps to keep your current job. You may want to find a mentor to help too.

9. Losing Your Job

Losing a job is never easy. Whether it’s your fault or not, it can be incredibly embarrassing, knocking your self-esteem. Becoming unemployed also means losing an income, which could harm your finances. This is why it’s so important that you build an emergency fund. When you have savings for a situation like this, you won’t have to worry about finding a job right away. This gives you some time to get over losing the previous one and relax for a little while.

10. Transition To Retirement

While involuntary unemployment can definitely be difficult, choosing to give up your job isn’t easy either. The act of retirement is often glorified and viewed as a reward for years of hard work. However, it’s not until you go through it yourself that you realise how overwhelming the transition can be. Without a job to get them out of the house, many people become isolated and lonely. This is why it’s so important that you make new friends and organise plans with loved ones.

Life will never be stress-free, but, with the advice above, you should be able to handle a few of life’s most stressful situations a little bit better.