Some days are awesome, and everything is going great. You think nothing could bring you down. Then suddenly, things fall apart. Life throws mind-blowing challenges your way, and you’re left there stunned.
These things happen to everybody. There are fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, and car accidents. Also, you could experience job loss, breakups, divorce, the list goes on.
You’ll feel so grateful if you get prepared beforehand!
So, here are 8 things you should do when things fall apart:
1. Make your daily life as pleasant as possible with what you have
“Things turn out the best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
— John Wooden
When my husband and I lived in a tiny 15 ft RV in Colorado’s high desert, it would get below zero (F) at night. Although we had a little electric heater, it was COLD.
In situations like that, you need to get creative with what you have to survive.
We weren’t doing this adventure to take pictures of our RV for Instagram or try to make people jealous. It was all about saving money, finding the right town and home to buy. But negative 24 degrees?!
Anyway, I’d rather live through the night than have a cute RV. A lot of heat was escaping near the windows, and they’d completely freeze over every night.
So, I cut open some boxes and duct-taped the edges over the windows. Then I tacked a fleece blanket over the cardboard. After that, I put up another layer of cardboard and another blanket over all the windows.
Then I put a tarp on the floor and a few blankets. Before I did that, if we put one of our 5-gallon water jugs on the floor, it’d freeze.
Oh, and we didn’t have running water for the entire 9 months.
Afterward, it was nice and warm. If you ever find yourself in a situation like that, get creative with what you have. You can always make life easier no matter what your circumstances are.
2. Brainstorm ideas
“Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed.”
— Bob Riley
The worst has happened. Now, what do you do to make this better and easier to handle?
Get out a notebook and brainstorm ideas on how you could improve each day. Write down things you could do to fix the most difficult parts of your days. Then put them into action.
It also helps to think of scenarios that are worse than yours. Like what if you were homeless right now, or what if you lost someone you cared about? These things can help you remember how good you have it, even though it’s not the best time ever.
Name at least 3 positive sides to this situation.
Whenever your thoughts dive into the abyss, bring yourself back to these 3 enjoyable features.
For instance, you might have a stressful job, but at least you’re getting a paycheck every week. Plus, you can look for a new job during your time off work. There are other places you could work and get paid more. You might even be much happier there?
3. Don’t panic when things fall apart
When things don’t go as planned, some people flip out. But that will only make things worse. If your boss fires you for something you thought was stupid, do not freak out at them. Don’t fight against it.
The same goes for catastrophic injuries. For instance, if you were in a car accident and you’re bleeding, the worst thing you can do is panic. That’ll make your heart pump faster. Thus you’d bleed more. Stay calm, despite how horrified you might be. Get your phone and call 911.
Besides, the operator won’t be able to help you until you calm down. Tell them where you’re at first, in case you pass out, then tell them your name and problem.
Don’t blame others or yourself. Just focus on solutions or other routes you could take. Never give up; there’s a loophole in almost every situation.
4. Be compassionate and kind with yourself
It’s easy to get angry or depressed when you’re in a discouraging situation. While it’s okay to feel your feelings, don’t allow them to carry you away into the mist.
The words you say in your mind are powerful. They can tear you down or build you up in an instant.
But when everything falls apart in your world, you’ve got to be on your side.
Give yourself some sympathy and guide your thoughts toward any solutions. If they fail, pick yourself back up and try something else.
5. Be patient and proactive
Sometimes horrible things happen, and it’s a waiting game till it’s over. Don’t torture yourself about it. A terrible event like the pandemic is a perfect example. We all need to wait until most people get vaccinated before life can spring back into motion.
Think of new goals to work on and hobbies to explore. I just started painting. My grandma was a professional painter, and her paintings have inspired me.
Now, I love painting. It’s so therapeutic and relaxing.
But you can choose any hobby and it’ll help you stay occupied while you’re killing time.
6. Accept the uncontrollable and roll with it
However, sometimes there’s nothing you can do to change the situation. Like if you lost a contest, you wanted to win. You’re going to need to accept that you lost this one, but you could try again in the future.
Or if someone broke up with you, you can’t force them to come back to you. Nor should you want to. You deserve to be with someone who wants to be with you, and they’re out there.
So, let it be as it is and let go because something better is coming. In the future, you’ll be so glad you did.
7. Be thankful when things fall apart
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius
The reason some things collapse is that they needed to change. But you’ve avoided doing it yourself. So, the Universe is stepping in for you. If it’s supposed to happen, don’t fight against it. Embrace it and be thankful it did.
When my husband and I were house hunting throughout the mountains, we’d get our hopes up a lot. We go check out a house, and it seemed perfect. But there was a bit of desperation in our souls to get out of that cramped RV.
So, it turned out to be a gift that we didn’t get those houses. Some were dangerous to get to and others were far from a grocery store.
In fact, we ended up not living in the mountains at all. We found a small town (with fantastic weather) in the eastern part of Colorado. We moved in May 2019, and we are still madly in love with it and our house. We’re so grateful not to have to deal with mountain passes in the snow, mountain lions, or bears.
“It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.” — Germany Kent
I know it’s extremely difficult to feel thankful when it seems like your world is crumbling apart. But it’s the best thing to do.
Think about the things you still have in your life. Don’t discount all the positive aspects because one part of your life is changing.
This could be the beginning of something amazing! Although you may not be able to see the positive qualities of the situation, you will.
8. Get prepared for the next time things fall apart
When you survive this fiasco, you shouldn’t act like things will never fall apart again. That’s not how life works. Even if you’re a great person and always do what you’re supposed to, you’re not immune to things falling apart.
So be prepared for emergencies. Have an emergency saving account, a blanket, matches, some water, a flashlight, and tools in your car. Always have a Plan B. this doesn’t mean you’re going to live like a paranoid person. You’re just being a smart person ready for anything.
All in all, there will be times when things fall apart, but it’s never the end of the road. There’s always something you can do to make it better.
Don’t think that nothing bad will ever happen to you because that’s not realistic. You don’t have to become a “doomsday prepper,” but you’ll be so happy when you’re ready for emergencies.
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Have you ever had a time when things seemed to fall apart?
Excellent write up. GEM.
Thank You.
Thanks, Michael! I appreciate it.