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Home » Overcoming Hardships

Overcoming Hardships

Posted January 29, 2024
in Household Management, Thrive

Death of a loved one, loss of a job, physical ailments, and world events are hardships most people will experience in a lifetime. How we deal with tough times, welcoming adversity as an opportunity, whether the trial is short or long-term, bolsters strength and resilience.

Man and woman walking arm in arm by a river.

Overcoming hardships is nothing new in life. Loved ones, a comforting word from the Bible, prayer and positive thinking help. Read on to learn more!

The Importance of Overcoming Hardships

Life is a beautiful gift filled with blessings and hardships. Overcoming hardships by staying positive in the face of adversity helps Josh and I guide our family. We don’t panic; we lean into each other and pray for peace and guidance.

We are a united team, ready to lead our family through thick or thin. Our experience in pivoting when things go wrong on the homestead has gotten us through difficult times to deal with adversity.

I take my role as wife and mother very seriously in how I manage our home. It is a great privilege and responsibility that I embrace daily. Tough times are opportunities for growth that I can impart to my children, raising them up into successful people who overcome adversity.

Our children see me and Josh as that solid, strong anchor that holds our household in place, especially during hardships. We take time to pray together and stay together, encouraging each other and being hopeful during the worst-case scenario.

Types of Hardships

There are different types of adversity on a homestead. The loss of a loved one can be especially hard. Losing our great Grandma Jeanie, who lived with us for the last year of her life, was hard on the whole family.

Grief is emotional adversity and something each person deals with in their own way; it’s important to comfort each other and be a good listener when needed. Validating each other’s way of dealing with loss helps everyone cope and overcome this hardship in life.

Great Grandma Jeanie lived through the Great Depression and taught us the importance of positive thinking, resilience to overcome challenging situations, and knowing that hardships build character. Her life and example were an inspiration to all of us.

Storms in North Idaho cause short-term power outages for days and up to a week. We can’t control the weather, but we can control how we deal with the effects of it. We try to be prepared in case of emergencies; staying positive and not fearful is important.

There are times our garden sustains an unexpected hard frost early in the fall and torrential rains through spring, potentially affecting our food growth and production. These are times when we come together, strategizing and working to gather and preserve what we can.

World events, pandemics, illness, physical adversity, and loss of jobs and homes are hardships that need resilience and a growth mindset to get through. Prayer and coming together to seek comfort from God’s Word really grounds our family.

Staying informed but not overly focused on the difficult situation or becoming immobilized and ineffective is never helpful. We keep our perspective and focus on what we can do, not what we can’t do.

A woman in the kitchen holding a mug of tea.

Tips for Overcoming Hardships

My role as a mother is to nurture and comfort my children during times of hardship and stress. I am wise enough to know that we can accomplish and get through what needs to be done together. These are some of my go-to’s when hardships and trials come our way.

Self Care

In order to be strong and positive during these times, you must take care of yourself. Adequate rest, time alone to contemplate the next responsible action and prayer time help me be the best I can be for my family.

I find it helpful to keep informed about what is going on, but not obsessed with watching the news repeatedly. I keep social media time to a minimum. Being involved and helpful in our community and with our neighbors is a better way to take care of my mental health.

Positive Mindset

When you are the one everyone else looks to; fear, panic, hysteria, and worry will not help anyone. The best thing to do is stop, take a deep breath, gather your thoughts and make a plan. Keeping a positive mindset will keep everyone feeling hopeful, not hopeless.

Set an Example to Follow

Your attitude will become contagious, so focusing on the good and keeping it lighthearted is helpful. I try to keep a smile on my face, have a sense of humor, and yet be purposeful in my direction and guidance. I am firm yet loving and thoughtful when redirecting as needed.

Create and Stick to a Schedule

I take stock of supplies and plan healthy convenience meals that can be prepared for the family. I organize the household with helpful tasks for each person, from youngest to oldest, that benefit everyone.

Helping others takes your mindset off yourself and brings a sense of accomplishment.

Sticking with a daily routine for kids brings a sense of familiarity and comfort. We take time to check in with each other and see if anyone needs extra support with a chore or emotional stress when the hardship becomes overwhelming.

Encouragement for Moms

Moms, you set the tone for your whole house, and in times of great distress, moms tend to be the backbone of the emotional stability for the families of our nation. It is so important for you to find the strength you need to help your family move through hard times with grace.

Aim to make sure your family is taken care of so that you can reach out to those around you and be a light to those in your community in their time of need.