Everyone has days that they feel discouraged. Maybe a situation has not turned out the way you hoped or planned. You may feel God has not answered your prayers and wonder if He even cares.
Whatever the reasons, discouragement happens to all of us at some point in our lives.
2 Things to remember on days you feel discouraged:
1. Don't dwell on your problems and unpleasant circumstances.
I know we think it helps to worry and analyze our problems, but it doesn't. It actually makes us more susceptible to sickness and depression.
It is easy to become discouraged when our situations in life remain unseemingly unchanged, or when
we have to repeatedly deal with the same challenging circumstances. At those times we must remember the times that God has been faithful.
The battlefield is in the mind!
Choose to meditate instead on those things that are lovely, praiseworthy, and a good report instead of marinating over and over all of your concerns (Paraphrase Philippians 4:8).
Practice rolling over and over in your mind what is positive in your life. No, it does not mean you ignore your reality. It means you give yourself a space and a place to process your circumstances that are not-so-lovely, and then make a decision to choose to focus on those aspects in your life that are good.
2. Encourage yourself that there will be better days ahead.
Not every day will be difficult. You can't have flowers without rain and sun. Just as we need those challenging times in our lives to build our faith muscles and to strengthen our endurance to hardships so that we can finish our race in life strong.
Some days are just harder than others, and that's just a fact, but keep going anyhow as best as you can.
You may need to adjust a few things in your life during this time so that you can keep going. Take breaks, get the extra rest you need, and be kind to yourself. Stop the negative self-talk and instead praise your efforts that even during a challenging time you did the very best that you could, and that is enough! Stop comparing yourself to what others would do. Adjust but don't quit.
Counselor Tip:
Don't wait for others to encourage you, sometimes you have to encourage yourself with God's help.