Throughout our lives, we’re all going to come across periods of time where it’s hard to get through the day. Maybe our mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, OCD, or anything else are feeling particularly severe or challenging. Maybe our responsibilities at work or in school are feeling overwhelming and unmanageable. Maybe we’re having difficulties in our relationships or interpersonal interactions and it seems like it’ll be a long road for them to improve.

Whatever the reason, and however uncomfortable or not-fun it is, it’s totally normal to have a time when things just feel really freakin’ hard. By now, many of us know the “things to do” when we’re struggling: meditate for an hour every day, journal before we go to bed, limit screen time, eat healthy, blah blah blah. Don’t get me wrong: these are great strategies. But when we’re in a period of time as described above, some of these things just aren’t attainable. So let’s look at a few simple, approachable strategies we can use to get through the day and slowly build up to a more joy-filled daily life. I hope these make your days more manageable and enjoyable, as they have mine!