So what do you do when little annoyances and frustrations seem to be happening more often than usual, effectively ruining your day? What if your entire life seems to be going in the opposite direction of what you want? Here’s how to deal when everything seems to be going wrong:
- Keep your eye on the prize. We all want something out of life: a new job, our dream job, a promotion, a real relationship, or even just a decent first date. When people keep telling you no and you’re facing rejection left and right, it’s easy to think things will always be this way. They won’t, so you might as well keep going on your chosen path. You don’t want to totally give up just because you’re stuck in a rut right now. Your future self would totally hate that.
- Accomplish something. It doesn’t matter what it is — just make sure it’s something that will enrich your life in some way.  Sure, binge watching Jessica Jones on Netflix may just feel like chilling out in front of the TV, but you’re giving yourself a fun conversation topic for future dates or even just your BFF. After a good binge-watching session, life doesn’t seem so terrible. You can also cut out sugar for a month, eat more vegetables, or learn to run. The possibilities are endless.
- Actually go out. You know your girlfriends are the most important people in your life, and yet you still complain about how hard it is to schedule time together. We’re all swamped these days, but when you’re having a rough time, you need your friends even more than usual, so schedule some coffee dates, brunches, and happy hours.
- Remind yourself of who you are. We’re constantly changing and sometimes that can feel pretty scary, especially when you’re going after your dreams and not getting what you want in return. Maybe your writing is getting rejected or the apartment you lusted after was rented already. Doing something that you love – like devoting time to that novel collecting digital dust on your laptop or starting a blog – will help you stay true to who you are and feel much better.
- Make plans. If things aren’t working out, you have two choices: you can cry or you can change things. You probably want to do the latter. Plan a massive trip for next summer or save money for something you’ve always wanted to do. Being proactive will do wonders for your self-esteem and you need that since it’s basically at an all-time low right now.
- Accept failure as part of the process. So what if you keep failing? Failure is so inevitable that it definitely needs a new name. If you can change your perspective and start to actually expect to fail, you’ll be in a much better position and can keep going after your dreams and desires. It’s as simple as thinking you’re going to hate every first date you go on and then being pleasantly surprised. So go ahead and think you won’t get the job… then you can truly celebrate when you do.
- Leave your comfort zone behind. It’s not working out all that well for you anyway, since you feel like nothing is going the way you want. Sign up for a photography class when the only photos you take are with your iPhone. Learn to cook when you even burn toast. Whatever you do, you’ll feel super productive.
- Get some cheap therapy. Okay, maybe not so cheap, but paying for a gym or studio membership is still a cost-effective way to get in a good mood. Those of us that love to sweat it out several times a week consider working out a form of therapy. Nothing is better than holding plank or doing an hour of cardio when you’re annoyed and frustrated at the universe.
- List your accomplishments. You can physically write them out or just think about them. Either way, you’ll realize that although things seem like a total mess right now, you have definitely succeeded before. If it happened before, you can again.
- Take the first step. This will depend on what you’re hoping to achieve. If you want to fall in love, set up some first dinner dates. If you want to get published, send out some pitches. Eventually your universe will right itself again and you’ll be laughing, wondering how you ever doubted things in the first place.
