Okay, folks, let me tell you about this whole “how to suffer well” thing I’ve been trying out. It’s not about, like, enjoying pain or anything weird like that. It’s more about dealing with the crap life throws at you without falling apart.
So, first thing I did was to start noticing when I was feeling like garbage. Sounds simple, right? But I used to just plow through, pretending everything was fine even when it totally wasn’t. Now, when I get that icky feeling in my stomach or that heavy feeling in my chest, I stop and think, “Okay, what’s going on here?”
Then, I tried not to judge myself for feeling bad. I used to beat myself up for being sad or angry or whatever. “Get over it,” I’d tell myself. “You’re being a baby.” But now, I’m trying to be a little kinder to myself. Like, it’s okay to feel sad if something sad happened. It’s normal.
- Acknowledge your feelings.
- Don’t judge yourself for feeling bad.
- Accept that suffering is part of life.
Next, I started thinking about what really matters to me. What are my values? What do I want to stand for? This was a tough one. I had to really dig deep and ask myself some hard questions. It made me start to see some problems in my life as opportunities, and also see some things I believe I can really deal with.
Dealing With It
Once I had a better handle on my feelings and values, I started trying to figure out how to actually deal with the problems causing me to suffer. I started reading some stuff about “resilience” and “growth mindset.” It’s basically about bouncing back from setbacks and seeing challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.
This part is still a work in progress, to be honest. Some days I feel like I can handle anything, and other days I just want to crawl under the covers and hide. But I’m learning to be patient with myself and to celebrate the small victories. It just like that online therapy thing said, most people can find a way that helps them within two days.
One thing that’s really helped is talking to people I trust. I used to keep everything bottled up inside, but now I’m trying to be more open with my friends and family. It’s amazing how much better you can feel just by talking to someone who gets it. I realized that, hey, there are people to help. I just have to be brave enough to ask.
So, that’s my journey with suffering well so far. It’s not easy, but I think it’s worth it. I’m starting to feel a little stronger, a little more resilient. Like I can handle whatever life throws my way. It might not be pretty, but I can get through it.
