Is a problem even a problem?

Everyone experiences problems in his or her life. These may be financial, such as paying an (unexpectedly high) bill, or more personal, such as raising your children. The way you look at or deal with something like this determines whether it is actually a problem. I like to explain it to you in this blog and in this audio frameratent.

Perspective is everything

The amount of problems you experience in your life also determines the quality of your life. Is everything going smoothly? Then life is easy. But how do you react when things go against you? How you deal with setbacks makes all the difference. Are you reactive, active or proactive in approaching difficulties? Do you see problems as personal bad luck or a challenge? Some forms of resistance help you grow. Think of the weights in the gym that actually make your body stronger. Similarly, overcoming difficulties strengthens your mental state. Perspective is everything in that respect.

Analyse your experiences

It is also useful to look back at your experiences of setbacks. Do certain problems keep recurring? If so, those are things you still have a lesson to learn about. What problems have you already overcome? And what was the key to solving them then? I have a son with autism, who has frequent tantrums because of this. This also made me frustrated and angry. Until I discovered that anger doesn't work for me. By letting his anger be there and not letting it affect me, I managed to stop experiencing it as a problem. Maybe you too have similar victories that you can learn from: there are more of them than you think!

11 tips for getting stronger from problems

By learning to deal with setbacks and frustrations, you develop spiritual and emotional muscle. How to do that? I have 11 tips for you to get stronger from the problems you face. Below, I share three of them. You can listen to the rest in this audio clip.

Tip 1:
Change your attitude towards problems. Is it an opportunity to grow? A lesson to learn?
Tip 2:
Change the questions you ask. Don't ask: "why is this happening to me?", but turn it around: 'what can I learn from this situation?'
Tip 3:
Change your physical state. When you are tired or inactive, a problem feels different from when you are rested or active. So get up, breathe, go for a walk or exercise.

Have a nice day with problems 😉