3 Ways to Battle Discouragement

I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s so easy to get discouraged, disgruntled or just plain aggravated.

My brain and my heart don’t always agree on how to respond to a situation and for better or worse, I’m a big hearted guy and my feelings often outweigh even my strong willed brain at times.

I’d like to offer some magical words of encouragement or wisdom, but I’m not sure I’d classify this list as that. Regardless, here are a few things that do help me, at least sometimes (reassuring, I know)…

  1. SLOW DOWN. When things are moving too fast, it’s hard to think clearly and it’s easy to let emotion win a battle it shouldn’t. Find a time or place to just stop for a few minutes and refocus.
  2. TAKE A BREATH. I know, this sounds stupid, but seriously, take a few deep breaths — oxygen is good for the body and the soul apparently.
  3. FIND PERSPECTIVE. Our emotions have a way of taking things that are not that big and making them much bigger than they should be. Look around, list a few things in your life (in writing) that you’re thankful for. Gratitude creates perspective. Nothing battles discouragement like a good dose of perspective.

It’s good to have a mix of emotion and reason — but don’t let either beat you down.