Can You Prepare Yourself To Handle The Bad Things In Life?

Do you ever find yourself turning off the evening news because watching one more story about something bad will shoot your stress level into the stratosphere? Global warming, terrorism, record home foreclosures and of course, murder, crime and scandal are the prevailing stories of the day. We live in a world where we're constantly bombarded by bad news. While you can't bury your head in the sand and pretend these problems don't exist, can you prevent the state of the world from stressing you out?n nWe can learn to protect ourselves from feeling overwhelmed by negative events. Many of us, whether we're consciously aware of it or not, absorb all of this bad news and it chips away at our sense of security and balance. So how do you prevent the state of the world from completely stressing you out? You focus on changing the state of your world and on touching the lives around you in a positive way. n nFor example, if your life is a daily routine of getting up, going to work and then coming home and watching TV each night, you can become isolated. That makes it easy to focus on the very negative things that are going on in the world. On the flip side, if you seek out opportunities to socialize and show compassion towards others you achieve multiple positive benefits. nnWhen you build bonds with other people it's like weaving a safety net for yourself. The ability to commiserate and laugh together establishes a healthy foundation for you emotionally. And when you feel anxious about the world-at-large, giving to others can help. Your giving spirit can simply lead you to talk to someone who looks lonely in a coffee shop. Sometimes chance encounters where you take the time to reach out on a human level can have a profound impact on others-- and yourself.nnReaching out to others can be a key coping strategy when things in your own life get rough—and the reality is, they will get rough at some point. Whether you’re dealing with a divorce, death of a loved one or some other drastic, life-altering event, it is possible to prepare yourself for adversity. nnNot that you should walk around in a constant state of anticipation waiting for bad things to happen to you. But realistically speaking, no one is immune from problems. So if you work on fortifying your life, you’ll be in a better position to handle those major events when they do happen.nnSo how do you ‘fortify’ your life? For starters, you spend time figuring out what’s important to you — essentially determining what is your personal meaning of life. When you gain a sense of what matters most in your life and then focus on those areas, you will have an anchor when the storm hits.n nDeciding your own meaning of life gives you the strength and freedom to break down barriers with the people you love. Once you begin to follow your own sense of purpose, you will be able to talk to your family in a new, more open way. Your family will sense the honesty of it and from there, the dynamics of your relationships will begin to change. This process puts family history in its proper place- the past. Improved relationships help you to fortify your buffer zone against the bad things in life.n