Do you believe your life couldn’t be worse than it is right now? “Damn, I’m depressed, anxious, angry, and out of synch. I mean, I’m miserable.” Maybe it’s time to take a look at 10 things to consider when life becomes unbearable.

Am I quoting you?

Lord knows the words have come out of my mouth more times than I can count.

So that’s the lay of the land right now. And your misery likely has you feeling hopelessly and eternally trapped – without any means of escape.

Okay, what are you going to do about it?

Hack it or believe you can’t

When it comes to dealing with this particular “land lay,” we both know you have plenty of choices – good and bad.

Unfortunately, many of us find it difficult to allow reason to rule the moment when the heat’s turned up, which can generate some nasty outcomes.

But bottom-line, no two minds are alike – some can hack necessary adjustments, others erroneously believe they can’t.

Either way, it’s about wise choice and use of coping mechanisms – never forgetting the power of the unhealthy ones.

10 things to consider when life becomes unbearable

“Okay, this is unbearable and it sucks. But there have to be adjustments I can make – reasoned considerations.”

Well, enough lead-in, let’s get to the goods. Here are 10 things to consider when life becomes unbearable…

1. You’re likely thinking your misery is a long-term arrangement. I’m betting it doesn’t last nearly as long as you think.
2. Not only is the duration likely to be shorter, the severity of your circumstance probably isn’t as bad as you perceive it to be. And I’m not minimizing your suffering.
3. Odds are you’ve endured equal – or worse – misery over the years and emerged stronger and more resilient (whether you realize it or not).
4. Choosing to participate in unhealthy coping activities (we all have our hotlist) will only intensify and prolong your misery.
5. Right here, right now, an important and lasting learning opportunity has presented itself. Slow down, get out of crisis mode, accept it, and get after it.
6. Crawling into bed and pulling the covers over your head may feel safe and buy time, but solves nothing.
7. Whining will get you nowhere. But a chat from the gut with someone you trust is a great idea.
8. Where does it say life won’t have its unbearable moments? (And where does it say you can’t endure them?)
9. You’re being asked to deal with a situation that’s totally out of your comfort zone. Okay, you can handle it. Step up, get creative, and feel good about expanding that comfort zone.
10. Like it or not, what you’re enduring is present and real. All that matters is what you’re going to do about it, as you continue to move forward with your life
11. A bonus #11: Never forget how good we are at negative self-talk and cognitive distortions (catastrophizing, overgeneralizing, etc.). If we’re going to progress, we need to take into account our defaults.

So what do you think? Can you latch on to a handful? And I’m sure you can come up with more. Go ahead, share in a comment.

Believe in yourself and get to work

Life can be unbearable – right now – can’t it. Depression, anxiety, anger, feeling out of synch, and many more miseries. They show no mercy.

But you can turn your life around – that is if you’re willing to believe in yourself and get to work..

Those Chipur info and inspiration articles: review all of the titles or by category below.

After a decades-long battle with panic, generalized anxiety, fluctuating moods, and alcohol dependence; Bill finally found his life’s passion and work – lending a hand to those in the same boat. At age 49 he hit grad school and earned his counseling credentials. And he continues his service through Chipur and other projects.