How to Overcome Adversity and Regain Control

Are you facing adversity in your life? Join the club. Life is constantly handing us challenges to overcome. A big part of living is dealing with adversity. While it’s not enjoyable, it’s a part of life that you can expect to encounter on a regular basis. So, learning how to deal with adversity is worth your time and attention.

There are several factors that determine your ability to deal with adversity effectively:

1. Experience. If you’ve successfully dealt with adversity in the past, you’ll be more capable of dealing with it in the future. Experience can also give you more self-confidence.

2. Self-confidence. When you believe you can handle a challenge, you’re more likely to do so. Self-confidence helps to reduce your stress and maintain a positive mood. When you have belief in yourself, challenges are easier to overcome.

3. Social network. Life is easier when you don’t have to face your challenges alone. A strong social network can solve a lot of life’s sticky situations. Is your car not running? That’s easier to deal with when you have 10 different friends and family members that can give you a ride while you get your car repaired.

4. The ability to focus on solutions. When you focus on your adversity, your challenges become bigger and scarier. Focusing on solutions is much more effective and will resolve your issue quicker.

5. Your ability to manage stress. Are you easily overwhelmed by stress? It’s going to be a bumpy ride. However, if you can manage your stress, you can rise to your challenges more easily. Meditate, pray, listen to music, or participate in other activities that release your stress and relax you.

Enhance these qualities in yourself and your ability to face your challenges successfully will multiply.

The best time to work on these items is when life is under control. It’s not easy to build self-confidence when you’re facing a huge challenge. It’s like the guy that decides not to fix the hole in his roof because the weather is sunny and no rain is leaking into his house. Work on your resources when life is pleasant.

1. Understand that adversity is a part of life. When have you ever not had a challenge of some sort? Never. There’s always something wrong. When one issue is solved, another one will pop up to take it’s place. So dealing with adversity is just part of life.

2. Look on the bright side. Adversity is good for building your internal resources. You become a stronger person and more capable of handling adversity in the future. You might not appreciate this fact now, but it will prove helpful down the road.

3. Focus on what you can control. Most of the things you worry about are out of your control. What’s the point in fretting about it? Spend your resources wisely and address those things you can change.

4. Use your time effectively. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and waste your time on worthless activities. Now is the time to use your time intelligently. Spend it on changing your situation.

5. Remind yourself of the good things in your life. It’s not all bad. There are plenty of good things and people in your life right now. You’ll feel better, and be more capable, if you remind yourself of this fact. Be grateful for what you do have.

You’ve dealt with adversity in the past and you’ll have to do it again. Managing and overcoming adversity separates those that are highly successful and those that struggle.

Learn to enhance your ability to overcome adversity. Build your internal resources and learn lessons from your past. Focus on solutions rather than the challenge. Manage the adversity in your life effectively and you’ll enjoy greater success.