Finding Your Glimmer When Life Is Hard

Life is a journey

Although you may view it as a cliche, it is entirely true. Life has its good and bad, ups and downs and twists and turns and yet we all try to power through no matter our circumstances or situation. We often find ourselves having to push ourselves, working with zero to empty fuel levels because many of us have people relying on our strength, time and energy. Whether this is our family, friends or work colleagues, there are constant responsibilities in our lives. In the end, we are only human and there is only so much we can take on and that’s where the cracks begin to show. Unfortunately, for many of us, this over time affects our physical and mental health.

Mental health struggles

Feeling anxious and overwhelmed may be caused by poor mental health. Yourself and others around you often notice you are smiling less and can’t remember the last time you laughed. Even the most basic of tasks can be very challenging and can feel like we are trudging through thick mud. However, through either choice or necessity we try to manage, finding the motivation to seek out help from others around us and from outside sources; reaching out to health professionals and listening to other people’s experiences. The solution to fixing poor mental health is more complex than people think. For many people are given a variety of medication as a way to reduce the symptoms, but in turn can cause positive and negative side effects. Alternatively, people seek therapists to discuss their struggles with a professional in a confidential and safe space. Again, the stress of being put on a number of long waiting lists makes the road to health feel more prolonged and stressful.

Physical health struggles

In terms of physical health, we tend to get fatigued, headaches, digestive issues, poor immunity and lots more symptoms. Poor mental health affects our physical health and vice versa, both putting a strain on our ability to work, our relationships, motivation and general quality of life There are infinite factors in our lives that cause stress: Grief, Illness, Disability, Financial pressure, Relationship breakdowns, bullying, abuse,infertility, living as a neurodivergent person in a neurotypical world, dysmorphia, war and social injustices, the list goes on. But with all these bumps and challenges we go from one day to the next, simply trying to pull through and keep moving forward.

Finding your Glimmers

So what can we do to improve things? Although it’s easy to imagine running away, joining the circus, selling your kids on etsy or winning the lottery, unfortunately, there is no definitive answer for everyone. We all have our unique stories to tell, living in hope that those stories are full of more ups than downs.

We all experience dark times in our lives, but it is the little glimmers of happiness and hope that brings back the calm amongst all the chaos. Finding and acknowledging those micro-moments of joy in our lives is so important in order to keep our spirits up. Together we can turn those glimmers into gleams.