What to do when you feel like a failure in life….

If you’re human, then I’m willing to bet that you’ve felt like your life was a mess at least once. You’re not alone and you’re not a failure in life. This life thing is rough and no one knows the secret to a pain-free happy life.

You’re going to have moments when you feel like a hot mess. Take a breath. These moments are normal. They will pass and some of them will offer you some valuable life lessons to learn.

So when the world feels like it’s collapsing in on you, here are 8 things you can do to help heal your spirit and pull you out of your slump…

• Tune into the present moment. It’s our worries about the future and our memories from the past that cause most of our misery, taking a moment to anchor to the present moment is a powerful way to shift your energy. Listen to this guided meditation.
• Use this Emotional Freedom Technique. Emotional Freedom Technique is also known as EFT or tapping. It’s a quick method you can use to shift your energy and release negative emotional patterns. You can find free EFT videos on Youtube to help you heal lots of different issues. Here is a video you can use when you feel like a failure in life.
• Throw on some music and dance. Movement changes your energy and because of that, it can be insanely healing. In your dance session, you can start dancing (or doing a mirror performance if that’s your thing!) to slow songs and then shift to more upbeat songs as you start to feel better.

If you’ve never tried this before, don’t knock it until you test it out for yourself. It’s a tool you can use to change your energy and when you start to feel better, it will be easier to figure out a plan to navigate out of the situation you’re struggling with. Sometimes your new plan may be as simple as contacting someone who can further help you.

• Write out a list of your happiest memories. Most people can list off their most painful memories with ease, but would struggle to tell you their happiest memories. We are constantly replaying our hurts, pains, and traumas in our heads. That habit is you constantly reinforcing to yourself that you suck at life. You don’t. You need to start telling yourself a better story about yourself. Make a list of your biggest successes and happiest memories. 
• Take a moment and list everything you’re grateful for. Gratitude is another magical way to remind yourself that even at your low points, abundance exists in your life. Acknowledge that abundance and know that if you don’t make it a habit to appreciate what you have now, you’ll probably struggle to appreciate your future manifestations.

If you feel like you have nothing, be thankful for the basics (having electricity in your apartment, your meals, a job that pays the bills, your family, friends, etc). If you’re homeless, be grateful for the car you’re sleeping in or the friend who is letting you sleep on their couch. 

• Ask yourself “What is this teaching me?” We learn some of our most important lessons when it feels like our world is falling apart. Sometimes the universe is pushing you in another direction that is more in line with your purpose. Sometimes that involves breaking down everything you where comfortable with.

Did you ignore any intuitive nudges? Your intuition is your inner compass and if you keep ignoring it, eventually you’ll hit a wall. They say that life speaks to you in whispers and those whispers change from yells to bricks across your head if you continue to ignore them. Are you experiencing a “brick across your head moment? There’s a lesson in everything, so take this moment and dig out the lesson.

• Start something new. Sometimes you need some new energy to breathe life back into you. If you’re already “failing” in life, then you’ll have nothing to lose by starting something new. It can be an item off of your bucket list, a new hobby, a side hustle, of an overseas volunteer trip. Just make sure it’s something that would truly bring you joy.
• Have a conversation with a supportive person. They can offer a listening ear, allow you to express why you feel that way, and offer advice to help you pull yourself out of those feelings. Sometimes we just need another set of eyes on our situation to help us map our way out of it.

Now that you have a starting point of things you can do when you feel like a failure in life, feel free to add to the list. You can also print out the list you create and post it somewhere you can easily see it as a reminder of ways to remind yourself that you are not failing. Life is a journey that includes some rough patches. Hang in there and use these difficult moments as reminders of how much of a strong survivor you are.