Psychologists Find The Surprising Benefit Of Going Through Hard Times
Going through hard times is
rough and uncomfortable, but there are hidden benefits that make it worth it.
No one really enjoys the experience of being homeless, jobless, a victim of
identity theft, losing your home and most of your belongings to fire, flood or
even a tornado, living with cancer in your body, etc., but psychologists say
that these lifetime events make us stronger physically and mentally.
According to a research report by
Psychologists, Judith Mangelsdorf and Michael Eid: What makes a
thriver? Unifying the concepts of posttraumatic and postecstatic growth, “Individuals who lived through
posttraumatic growth typically report positive changes in the areas of
relationships, spirituality, appreciation of life, openness for new
possibilities, and personal strengths.”
1.
Relationships
After going through a
traumatic event such as losing a loved one, people usually feel closer to their
friends and family members. Before the trauma, we tend to take for granted our
friendship and kinship with those we have in our lives. After the trauma, such
as suffering a loss of someone who meant a great deal to us, like a parent or
grand-parent, we realize how precious time is for sharing life with those who
are closest to us in our lives and we make more of an effort to connect with
them.
Like the song says : “Goin fishin isn’t such an
imposition.” (Tim McGraw, Live
Like you were Dying)
2.
Spirituality
Surviving a life-threatening
event makes us realize our lives on earth are temporary and we reach out to a
higher power to feel safe. Let’s face it, just about everyone I know fears
dying. So, when life throws a curve ball, like being diagnosed with cancer, and
you feel scared, it’s comforting to know that no matter what happens, you
are going to be alright. We know we are powerless at times against cancer,
fire, floods, tornadoes, job loss, etc., so it helps to connect with a high
power who has the control over our lives we do not have.
3.
Appreciation of Life
When we come face to face
with an event whereby we could have been killed, such as a plane crash, we tend
to see our life from a different point of view. We usually call it “a second
chance” and tend to take inventory to see what we have done in our lifetime and
what it is we have not done. While we go through the pain and agony of being
broken and bruised, we make plans to have fun and be more spontaneous, and
maybe even change our schedule to allow for more family time.
4.
Openness to new Possibilities
Suddenly, after having
survived an event that ordinarily would have resulted in death, we view our
lives looking through a lens we never used before: “possibilities.” Before the
traumatic experience, we may have been set on a course and no one or nothing
would steer us off of it, but now, since we have been given more time to live,
other possibilities come into play.
Perhaps, there is a new
invention written in a notebook with a hesitance to go through the process of
making it a real product for others to use, but now there is an urge to take
the invention idea to the next level. Or you have had a thought concerning a
new career and now being a survivor of hard times, you are open to making a
career change.
5.
Personal Strength
An event that nearly takes
our life away can make us feel stronger physically and mentally for having
survived it. Now we are thinking that we can be more adaptable to certain
people and circumstances than ever before. Psychologist believe that after a
person survives a death-defying event, their thought processes change
significantly and begin to think of themselves more capable of handling
anything life throws at them.
Life definitely has its ups
and downs, with its hard times. It’s not a pleasant experience going
through these challenging times, but it is somewhat comforting to know
that you will survive them and be stronger in the long run.
BY ANNAMARIA BLIVEN
http://www.lifehack.org/355457/psychologists-find-the-surprising-benefit-going-through-hard-times?ref=mail&mtype=goal_reminder&mid=20161008_with_thumbnail&uid=687414&hash=707e797f7e757e6d794c856d747b7b3a6f7b79&action=read_more&goal_id=5&token=d0e3e4b03809d240b52d71f8a6770fa9
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