Unless you can predict the future, a skill I personally haven’t mastered yet but maybe you have, we don’t know what life will throw at us. Whether good or bad, challenging or easy, horrible or beautiful, we are all going to face situations hard to deal with at some point. When this happens, we have two options.

We can feel sorry for ourselves and get stuck in a mind rut or find a way to move forward. I prefer the latter, much more exciting! Here are a few tips on how to do it. I hope you find it useful!

Take a deep breath

Take a couple of them and let the oxygen get to your brain, you’ll come up with more ideas on how to find a way out of the situation you’re in, than you can even begin to imagine. Oxygen to the brain will help you relax, think clearer and remind you that’s you’re still alive, which is something we can be grateful for!

Laugh

You look 10 times nicer when you smile, it doesn’t use much energy and it’s free. I’d like to challenge you to go beyond a smile and actually laugh. Find something funny, anything and let yourself be taken away from the negative thoughts with laughter. Trust me, at the end of it, you’ll feel a lot better.

Ask yourself: What’s good about this?

At first you may think that there is nothing good about it, but challenge yourself to think outside the square. Keep positive and look for the silver lining. There is enough in the world to be sad or feel frustrated about, your life doesn’t have to be. YOU are the one that decides how you react to situations and you are the only person that can change things around. I’ve been known to say to my clients ‘I simply refuse to think that things won’t work out!’ Maybe you can use the same phrase or use something that sounds better to you, make it your own, whatever you do don’t give up and push yourself to look for something positive.

Go forth with the fearlessness of a child

Don’t let anyone or anything stop you from moving forward. Trust your instincts; trust yourself and what you’re capable of achieving. Nothing is unachievable if you put your mind to it. You know the path you have to take so go for it! You know you can change things around in your life because you decide what happens, you are in control of your own life. Do not look at what people will think because that's not useful. Look at children around you and see how fearless they are, they don’t care what anybody thinks (even when they should care about what mum or dad will say!), they have nothing to lose and havn't even thought about the barriers that might pop up. Be like them!

Reward yourself for your achievements

When you have lifted yourself up and have moved forward from the place you were before, congratulate yourself. Give yourself a treat. Be it a massage, a walk along the beach, time out to read, buying a new pair of jeans, whatever takes your fancy. Remember: it’s great to be YOU!