If you’ve been living long enough, you should know that life is not a smooth sailing journey. It comes with ups, downs, sides, and all the forms of hurdles you can think of. We all experience unique challenges, but how we navigate them matters.  

How you conquer the challenges you face will define your resilience and personal growth. So, even though our journeys are not entirely the same, here are some of the things you can do when you have a challenge. 

Reframe Your Mindset 

Sometimes challenges are opportunities for massive growth, but we may not see it. So, as you struggle to pull through, look for the silver lining in the situation and try to go from seeing it as a challenge to seeing it as an opportunity. Every challenge has lessons; we just must open our minds to them.  

Embrace a Growth Mindset 

Reframing your mindset means letting go of a defeatist mentality and embracing a mindset that sees the challenge as an avenue for growth. Once you have reframed your perspective, you must embrace the new one.  

Believe that you can overcome it, no matter what it is. All humans have the innate ability to adapt to change, so trust me when I tell you that the strength is there somewhere; you just have to connect with it.  It starts with your mind. What are you feeding your mind? The Bible says what a person thinks in their heart so there are. 

Scriptures, books, meditations are all things to help feed positive things to help grow your mind.

Self-compassion 

Please cut yourself some slack! When going through challenges, it’s easy to be hard on yourself and come up with all the things you could have done differently. Rather than do that, just be kind to yourself, and treat yourself the same way you would treat someone if they were in your shoes. Setbacks and challenges are a part of the human experience, so I assure you it will pass.  

Don’t be afraid to ask for support 

Ask family and friends for support and share your challenges with them. I overcame some challenges as a mother, wife, academic, and business owner because I didn’t face them alone. The common saying, ‘a problem shared is a problem half solved,’ is not a cliché. Sharing your challenge with loved ones will help you overcome it faster.  

Prioritize your Wellbeing  

When you’re going through challenging times, it’s normal to forget to take care of yourself. Eating becomes a chore, and our mental health tends to take the back seat, but that shouldn’t be the case. Taking care of yourself, irrespective of what you’re going through, boosts resilience and gives you the energy you didn’t know you needed.  

Break it down  

If you can break down the challenge, don’t let it overwhelm you, break it down and take it one step at a time. Celebrate the small victories as you achieve them, and before you know it, you’ll be at the finish line.  

Build Resilience  

Resilience is bouncing back when you’re faced with adversity and it is a skill that we can develop through practice. We all need resilience; one of the best ways to build it is to always maintain a positive outlook. Be mindful, be intentional about developing healthy mechanisms to cope, and keep a positive perspective always.  

Practice Gratitude  

It’s hard to be grateful for anything when it seems like all the odds are against you, but it is an amazing way to overcome challenges. Look around you and look for things you have rather than things you don’t. Focus on the times that you succeeded, not only on the times that you failed; no matter how small your wins are; they remain wins.  

Persevere  

Stay determined and committed to overcoming that challenge because that is where success begins. Perseverance will help you stay grounded when you feel like giving up, so do not let that challenge swallow you up.  

Seek knowledge about the situation 

A problem is just a solution waiting to be found ! 

Seek knowledge relevant to the challenge you’re facing and try to learn more about how to overcome it. If it’s emotional, join support groups or read self-help books; just make sure you’re doing something to amplify your knowledge of the situation and how to solve it.  

Everyone’s journey through life is unique, so even how we deal with challenges is unique too, but you can adapt these steps and develop your own approach to using them.  

But achieving balance is the key to living a full, joyful, and fulfilled life. Here are ten secrets that have helped me gain some sort of balance throughout my journey as a wife, mother, professional, and lover of adventure. 

Always Set Your Priorities Straight  

Setting your priorities straight can do so many wonders for managing your time. Take time to identify the important areas of your life and prioritize them accordingly. This will also help you to make the right decisions and give enough energy to things that matter.  I like to call these my “non-negotiables “. I schedule time for these activities before anything else. Having priorities also help me say no to activities or opportunities that are presented to me. I will discuss saying “no” more later on. 

Practice Self-Care  

Self-care is an intricate part of finding balance because it helps you to focus on you! You’ve gone about your day working, taking care of the people you love, and now it’s time to make time for you.  

Take time out to indulge in what you love; read a book, see a movie, order your favorite food, or cook if you love to! Regardless of what it is, as long as you derive joy and peace from it. Self-care helps you nurture your spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional parts. I took me a while to figure out what self-care looked like for me. I encourage you to find it too!

It’s Okay to Say No 

One of the major causes of burnout is the fact that people do not know when to stop or say no, so they always take on more than they can handle. If you want to experience balance in your life, you must learn to create boundaries and refuse commitments that do not align with your values at that moment.  

There’s nothing wrong with saying no and choosing you first. So, only do things when you’re comfortable doing them. 

Create a Reasonable Routine  

Having a routine removes the fear of uncertainties; it is not ‘boring’ as most people say. A reasonable routine allows you to program your life in a certain way, but it doesn’t mean you lose the freedom to explore and have an adventure.  

A routine will help you stay on track and help you feel more in control of different aspects of your life. It’s one of the fastest ways to live a balanced life without stress.  

Find Something you are passionate about 

I am passionate about my faith, my family, and my businesses, which helped me get to where I am today. There must be a balance between working and doing what you’re most passionate about. Make time for your passion and embrace it because your purpose is tied to it. 

Don’t Cut Everyone Off 

Keep people who care about you in your corner always. It is always nice to have people to hang out with when your mind needs a break. This is great for your social life, and it will help you build community and stronger connections.  

It’s okay to cut off from people who no longer add to you, but you shouldn’t be alone on your journey through life. This is what balances your social life with every other aspect.  

Be Grateful  

Gratitude can help you to maintain an amazing perspective on life. It is Something I practice a lot simply because it shows you how far you have come and helps you to feel more content. Gratitude is also an amazing virtue to develop regardless of what you do or what happens around you; remember to be thankful for your ‘answered prayers.’  

Know that not every day will be perfect 

Not every day will be excellent, and that’s okay. It is ok to be a perfectionist and want everything to be excellent all the time but give yourself room for mistakes. Mistakes are a natural part of our lives, so give yourself permission to make them and learn from them. Sometimes we can be our own worst critic.

Do not be afraid to seek help  

Sometimes, trying to live a balanced life can be stressful. If you’re struggling to keep up with mental and psychological balance, it is okay to seek professional help. If your business is not growing the way you want it to, it is also okay to consult with professionals.  

Life can be much better when we seek help and allow ourselves to embrace the help. It brings ease to your journey.  

Keep a Positive Attitude  

You are in control of how you live your life and how you deal with all its uncertainties. Choose to maintain a positive attitude even when things are not going your way. This is a great way to strengthen your emotional capacity and improve your ability for problem-solving. Negativity will always see the problem, but positivity will think of a solution.  

These secrets form the very foundations of living a balanced life. If you stick to them and try to live your life following these principles, you’ll notice how living becomes easy.