3 Things to Remember When You Hit Rock Bottom

Hitting rock bottom isn’t the worst thing that can happen to you. If you have, it’s because you can’t fall anymore, which leaves you two options: you can stay there, drowning in your own pain – that is the worst thing that can happen to you – or you can use rock bottom as a base to gain momentum and rise up again. But finding the strength to gain this momentum isn’t always easy. Actually, most of the time it’s quite difficult because the surface you’re standing on is so small and slippery.

We’ve probably all felt like we’ve rock bottom at some point. If that’s the case for you, you know the difficulty I’m talking about. Life presents us with mental, emotional, and physical challenges that knock us down and make us feel hopeless, dark, and distraught. When you get to this point, there’s only one way out, because you can’t go down any further.

But you already know all this. You’ve fallen and gotten back up again. Like a phoenix, you’ve been reborn from your ashes. Hitting rock bottom has taught you an important life lesson. But like the human being you are, you know that you might slide down again.

Maybe the fear of going through a similar situation paralyzes you, prevents you from living life to the fullest, delays your goals, or pushes you to close yourself in your own bubble. But this will only hurt you, and you’ll end up hitting the bottom again, because fear is never a good guide.

Learn from past experiences

If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you’re at the point where you feel like you’re going to hit rock bottom, if you haven’t already. And you already know that what seems like a bottomless pit with a dizzying fall, actually does have an end.

Don’t deny what you’ve experienced, and don’t be ashamed of the bad things that have happened to you. Through remembering the suffering you’ve experienced, you can better understand and apply the following suggestions. When you hit rock bottom again, remember the following:

1. Feel your pain without attachment, don’t repress it

Let your emotions flow, give yourself the chance to feel that frustration, disappointment, or even anger.  Identifying how you feel is the only way to overcome the pain. If you try to distract yourself by thinking about other things, the emotions will just keep growing, fighting to find their place in your mind.

Feel your pain without being attached to it. Simply let it flow. Don’t look for solutions, don’t look for someone to blame, don’t think about the steps you have to take. Just feel. Contrary to how it might seem, these emotions won’t devour you, they will just pass and set you free.

2. Give yourself time to reflect

Reflection changes everything. You need time to give meaning to what you’ve experienced and understand how it’s affected you. Once you’ve let your emotions flow, it’s time to ease your mind and lighten your heart. It’s time to learn a new lesson.

Reflecting doesn’t mean playing the blame game, but rather being aware of your own responsibility, forgiving yourself, and making positive decisions that will make you stronger. This can take more or less time. Take however much you need. Only deep reflection that results in a lesson learned will help you get out of the hole.

If your self-esteem has remained solid throughout the fall, getting up will be much easier. Take advantage of your fall as an opportunity to show yourself some love. Treat yourself with at least the same affection that you show others. Respect yourself, forgive yourself, give yourself a chance, and don’t try to impose changes that go against who you are.

3. Let your mind flow

Many people who feel like they’ve hit rock bottom don’t let themselves disconnect from their problems. They feel like they have to ruminate over every bad thing in their lives. But encountering an obstacle doesn’t mean you can’t take a detour and find something more beautiful on a new path.

To get out of the hole, instead of going around in circles, the best thing to do is find an activity that allows your mind to flow. Creative activities, music, exercise, or meditation can give you a chance to leave that toxic space for a moment, enter a new setting, and return with your energy restored.