Some things that help me when I feel like giving up
I give up, no really… I’m done!
We all have times in our lives when we feel like giving up. And for some reason it seems like the older we get the more life piles on our plate. Sometimes it just gets to be too much to bear and we feel like giving up. Recently I have had a bunch of things happen in my life and it really does seem like it is all too much. And I started doing the “why me” and “what did I do to deserve this” thing. How do I go on from here? How do I move forward? I remember my mom saying many times that she just wanted to run away. I never understood why she said that..I do now.
So this morning when I woke up I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and look at what was really going on. I resolved to have a different way of looking at my life and all that was happening around me. I have chosen to not let my circumstances define me any longer or how I was going to react to the situations affecting my life. Because really that is all we can do sometimes. We can’t change what is happening but we can change the way “we” react to it.
When life keeps handing us lemons, do we make lemonade out of them or just let them sit there and rot? I decided to make some lemonade. I know, it is so cliche but it really works. Here are some of the things I came up with to keep moving forward and not give up.
“Never, never, never give up” ~ Winston Churchill
- Help someone else who is going through hard time. Volunteer or join a group working for the good of your town. It truly makes you feel better to take the focus off yourself and put it on someone else.
- Turn off social media. It doesn’t do us any good when we are feeling sorry for ourselves to see all the ranting and raving going on in the world. Some one is going to say something that makes you feel even worse. So take the day off. Unplug!
- Smile – I have heard this so many times, but it really does work. force it if you need to but do it!
- Laugh…watch a funny old movie or call someone that always makes you laugh. Laughter is always the best medicine.
- Do something just for the fun of it. You remember that right? We used to have fun. Think of what you once enjoyed doing and do it again.
- Exercise. I know you don’t think this would make you feel better but it really does. It boosts your mood by releasing endorphins. And it makes you feel good just because you did it. Admit it, you feel good about yourself when you exercise.
- Spend time with happy people. People that lift you up and bring you JOY! If you can’t spend time with them at least talk to them on the phone, through email or a text.
- Get outside and enjoy nature. Go for a walk. Look around at the trees and the the plants growing. Really look at them. Hike to the top of a mountain and scream as loud as you can(make sure no one else is around first).
- Spend time with little children. If you have small kids of your own or grandchildren they are the best thing to perk you up. They always look at life a little differently and make us see the good in the world.
- And finally, believe there is good in the world and search it out. If you can’t find any that day, then be the good yourself!
These are just some ways I try to beat the blahs and come out on the other side. Shopping is another thing I love to do and it always makes me happy, especially if I find a bargain. And living in the present moment helps, it is really all we have. When we live in the future we are fearful and don’t know what it will bring. When we live in the past, it is sometimes too painful or we wish for happier times with someone who isn’t with us anymore. We have to learn not to beat ourselves up when we feel down and are at the point of giving up. No one ever feels happy all the time. There are some people that always seem to have this smile plastered on their face and I wonder what is really going on there.
We all have times when we just want to sit in our pajamas all day, eat ice cream, watch sad movies and cry.(I may or may not have done this a time or two). But we just can’t let it become a habit. Don’t hide away from everyone and everything that could make you happy again. Let people help, you never know who will be the one that steps up and makes your day. But people can’t help unless you let them know you need them. People are always amazing me… in good ways and bad. But more often than not, it is good.
I have to tell you, I didn’t even feel like writing today. Last night I was supposed to write my weekly post and I just didn’t have it in me. I asked myself, what can I write about? I felt like I had nothing left in me that I wanted to share. So I just went to bed. Then I woke up today determined to not let all I am going through define me and my life. I decided to write about how I was feeling because that is what I do. I share my feelings in my writing and I feel so much JOY when I hit the publish button. So that is what I did. Thank you for always being here to listen and for telling me how much my writing affects you. Find the good!
As always I leave you with a question and a quote.
Do you ever feel like giving up? What do you do to keep going?
“I am going to keep having fun every day I have left, because there is no other way of life. You just have to decide whether you are a Tigger or an Eeyore.” ~ Randy Pausch (I love this quote!)
Great thoughts! Sometimes I throw in the towel when I do not see progress. These are excellent ways to rejuvenate.
Thank you!
Thank you hellion with all that is going on in our world I feel that way often. I decided one foot in front of another and try to help others have a better day and guess what I do also.
Thank you Sharon!
Don’t give up, just give yourself the time to catch up and realize all you have to be grateful for! In my counseling in my early years (30’s) my therapist always said that when you’re feeling sorry for yourself, you are at least feeling SOMETHING for yourself! Take a day off to have your true feelings, and I promise you will feel so much better about going on. This has all worked for me…plus a mild antidepressant!
I never give up! That is now and always has been my motto. I was feeling a little super stressed and had to write about it in hopes of helping others..Thank you so much for sharing and commenting Laura!
Yep, going through Right now! Having a sick kiddo for about 2 weeks has definitely knocked me down! I want him to be able to enjoy his summer and for our family to be able to do the summer stuff we love to do…hiking, swimming, and bike riding! All of which an 8yr old with pneumonia can’t do because he has no energy and needs to rest and heal! I had a little melt down this morning trying to get him to take the disgusting antibiotics that will make him better…I walked outside, had a little cry, and came back to find a different approach! It worked… we do have to pause and be in the moment to see things clearly and remember “this too shall pass”! Love you, Mom…”hang in there” as Gram always said! :)))
Love you too Heather and I’m hanging as hard as I can. I hope everyone is ok and you guys can enjoy the rest of the summer.
You are a tigger all the way! Glad you found something to write about because my week is not complete without reading your blog! Great tips–we all need to be reminded of them every now and then.
Thank you Cheri! I’m glad you enjoy my posts and always support me. I was glad I wrote it too, made me feel JOY.
I love all these, especially spending time in nature and with little kids. Both activities help put things in perspective. Thanks for the reminder. Needed it.
Glad you enjoyed it Laurie! Thank you so much for commenting.
I guess I can honestly say NO, I don’t ever feel that way…I just try to overlook the bad and try to be around people who help me laugh and forget the bad even if just for an hour or two. Being alone I can keep my thoughts and feelings to myself so much easier, so I SLEEP more than anything, lol. Sad to say but I do. But since I know some of whats going on with you, again just sending HUGS to ya and keep the faith and do that list of things you wrote above. We just gotta put our big girl panties on some days and bite the bullet, right? And SMILE, it makes everyone else what you’re UP TO 🙂 hahahaha
Thanks Susie! I am a very optimistic person and always try to stay that way, but when you have 4 or 5 major things happen at one time it kinda knocks the wind out of your sails. Good for you that you don’t ever feel that way.
I love your optimism and the suggestions to feel better about your life—these are all so good!
Thank you Marcia! And Thanks for commenting!
This blog really hits close to home – I know you know that!! I surely hope & pray that some day really soon we can have peace, true happiness & some real resolve to our heartaches – real resolve!! The slogan, ‘Calgon take me away’! I wish it was that simple! I have wanted to give up, crawl in a hole or even move out of town/state to get away from it all but my conscience, nor my heart, would let me. I have to remember something my wonderful, little brother said to me, ‘Dinah, you can’t fix it’!! I always hear him in my head & miss his words of wisdom! This one, single statement will stick with me, be in my head, forever! Some day I may just stop trying – to fix it!! It’s so hard, though. I want everyone to be happy, me included, & it’s frustrating that I can’t make it happen. I will try, like you, to make lemonade out of lemons – hopefully with some extra sugar to really sweeten it up!! Hugs & thank you for another wonderful blog/realization! 🙂
Thank you Dinah! And I know your pain all to well. We both deserve to be happy and find peace…so we need to do what gives us those things. And Jed was right, “we can’t fix it!…but we can learn to live our lives without fixing it…