TOPIC 2 | MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL ILL-HEALTH


TOPIC 3 | DEALING WITH TOUGH TIMES


Dealing with difficult times


A basketball is a good representation of resilience. When the ball is full of air, it bounces back into our hands when dropped. Likewise, when everything in our lives is going well and we are happy, we have the ability to ‘bounce back’ when we hit a low point. If the basketball loses air, however, it will not bounce back so easily when it hits the ground. Similarly, there are some things in life that ‘let the air out’. These can be challenges such as bereavement, divorce, moving schools, poor relationships, arguments at home, etc. It is important that we use coping strategies at these times to refill our basketball and get it bouncing again.


The following acronym can be useful to refer to when we experience setbacks in our lives.


Bad times don’t last. Things usually get better. Stay optimistic. Other people can help if you talk to them. Unhelpful thinking makes you more upset. Nobody is perfect, not you and not others. Concentrate on the positives, no matter how small, and use laughter.


Everybody experiences sadness, hurt, failure, rejection and setbacks sometimes, not just you. They are a normal part of life. Try not to personalise them.


Blame fairly. How much of what happened was due to you, how much to others or to bad luck or circumstances?


Accept what can’t be changed (but try to change what you can first).


Catastrophising exaggerates your fears. Don’t believe the worst possible scenario.


Keep things in perspective. It’s only one part of your life. Dealing with difficult situations


When things go wrong and we are feeling down, there are many things we can do to help us cope. Different things work for different people. There are also unhelpful things we can do that make it more difficult to deal with difficult situations, for example shutting ourselves away in our rooms, eating too much junk food, or playing video games for hours on end.


20323 0


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26