5 People Share How They Cope 'Despite Everything'

Man, life is hard right now isn’t it? It’s not just because its winter or because we’re all still shaking off January. We’re in a frustrating political sphere, we’re in a cost of living crisis and everything just feels so bloody HARD.

I know I’m far from alone in feeling this way, too. In fact, Reddit user yeselectron appears to be in the same boat, asking the AskReddit community “What makes you keep going despite everything?”

For me, it’s hope. Things have to get better and I work to maintain that belief and do what I can to make it happen. It’s not always easy but it’s often the driving force behind me getting out of bed but I did get a lot of inspiration from the Redditors that replied, too.

How people keep going in hard times

Always have something to look forward to

User LoveAlert911 says: “Always having “something” to look forward to, whether its next week, in a few months, or next year. When you don’t have anything to look forward to, that is when I believe people start to give up.

“My wife and I always have something on the calendar to look forward to in the current and following year...etc”

It doesn’t have to be anything spectacular, either. User Vinny_Lam shares: “That’s what I always do. I try to give myself something to look forward to. Often times it’s something very simple and insignificant, like a meal that I want to have or an upcoming video game that I want to see, but it still works.”

Belief in brighter days ahead

HardcoreShadow says: “The belief that things can get better in the future. Also understanding that if I do nothing, then nothing will change. Tomorrow will look exactly like the day before.

“So if I want my life to improve, only I can choose to act and do something about it. No one is going to do it for me.”

Big mood.

The future is unwritten

Sometimes, looking at days that have passed can make you dread the days ahead. However, user Whiskeyr6 urges: “You got one life to live and the past doesn’t have to be the future.”

Making the most of what you do have

While our lives may not look like we’d expected them to, it is wise to look at what we do have and make it work for us. Or, as FatKid420 says: “You ever get home from getting takeout and realise you got the wrong order but just say fuck it I’ll eat it?”

Small acts of kindness

While this may seem a little fluffy, research has found that kindness can increase happiness and self-esteem, while decreasing stress and emotional reactivity.

User Stagsygirl understands this, saying: “What keeps me going is knowing how much small, random acts of kindness have mattered to me. Someone saying or doing one small thing has changed my day, sometimes my life.

“I don’t know if my own small acts ever have that kind of impact on others, but the hope that they might is enough. Those moments of kindness are where most of my joy comes from.”

We’ve got this.

Help and support:

• Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
• Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
• CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
• The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
• Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.