5 Mantras for Stress Relief in Tough Times

Everyone goes through tough times at some point in their life. It’s inevitable. Some would even call it being human.

And in stressful times, it can be difficult to keep hope that better times are coming. Instead, everything feels dark and cold, with no end in sight.

Luckily, most things in life are cyclical, and tough times don’t last forever. 

That doesn’t stop it feeling that way, though, and so the stress can be intense. In these times, it’s important to feed yourself with positive thoughts that help remind you better days are to come. And that is where using mantras comes into play.

The awful effects of stress 

Living with stress long-term can cause frightening health problems, including digestion problems, trouble sleeping, increased blood pressure, and heart disease. 

Therefore, it is essential to try and deal with stress in tough times as much as possible to minimise any damage it causes your body.

Not only does it harm your physical health, but your mental health can also suffer a significant blow during tough times.

One way to help you get through the challenging periods in your life is to repeat mantras to yourself that will help you cope. These small yet powerful statements will help keep you grounded, providing much-needed reminders that you can get through it. Learning how to stress relief with these mantras is an exercise, and in order to see the benefits, you should aim to practice these daily, and not only when things aren’t going to plan. 

So what are some suitable mantras to help you through it? 

Five powerful mantras to get you through tough times

Mantra #1

“When you’re going through hell, keep going.”

In the midst of a difficult time, it feels like the easiest thing to do is give up.

After all, pushing on is painful, stressful, and sapping all your energy. There’s no light in sight, so why bother?

But it is precisely this reason that you need to continue. Who wants to stay in hell? Surely you want to find your way out. Giving up at your worst point will only result in being stuck there. It will prolong the pain, the stress, the anxiety.

Not to mention you are feeding yourself the narrative that you are not capable of making it through. And you absolutely are. 

So, when it feels like it couldn’t get any worse, keep going. Eventually, the light will appear, and your hell will be over. 

And what’s left behind will be a string of lessons learned and a more resilient person.

Mantra #2

“Take a deep breath. It’s a bad day, not a bad life.”

 It is easy to want to throw in the towel and succumb to the idea that if you are going through a tough time, it is your own fault and your destiny to be forever unhappy.

It feels inevitable that your life is doomed to constant distress, and you resign yourself to your bleak future. This is a classic psychological aspect, often seen in anxiety and depression, called catastrophising.

Catastrophising means taking one horrible event and blowing it out of proportion to see it as a world-ending incident. An example of this would be getting a bad result on an exam and thinking your entire school career is ruined.

Catastrophising only breeds more stress which is why it is important to nip it in the bud the moment you notice it.

That is why this mantra is so important to remind yourself. Contrary to what social media might be telling you, no one has a good day every day.

To quote Ronan Keating, ”Life is a rollercoaster, just gotta ride it.”

Your days will be good and bad with no rhythm or rhyme. You just have to take each day as it comes. But having one bad day, or even several, does not mean you have a bad life.

Try focusing on the good things in your life, no matter how small, and you’ll realise you may be having a bad day, but your life is fine, and you will get through it, just as you have every other one.

Mantra #3

“Never trust your fears; they don’t know your strengths.”

In tough times, under immense stress, we start to doubt ourselves. Finally, fear takes over, and self-doubt becomes the dish of the day.

It can be hard to wrap your head around, but not all thoughts you have are true. When fear, stress, and anxiety come to play, your brain can trick you into believing you aren’t good enough. That you aren’t strong enough to carry on.

Stress is really good at picking on your deepest insecurities and trying to trick you into believing they are true. 

But here’s a little-known secret for you. You don’t have to listen to the thoughts in your head. You can choose to ignore the bad thoughts. It takes practice, but it is possible.

After all, your fear doesn’t care about making you feel good, and it ignores the immense power you hold. In fact, your fear is scared because once you realise how strong you really are, your fear loses. 

Mantra #4

“Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during hard times when the “hero” within is revealed.”

There is a romantic idea in pop culture that you have to face great adversity to become strong. Without it, you’ll never be powerful enough to make it through.

It’s not entirely true, though. You don’t need tough times to make you strong; you already are. But sometimes, it takes going through a hard time to make you realise it and bring it to the forefront.

So, while you’re going through hardship, remember, it won’t make or break you – you already have the strength to get through it. All you need to do is believe in yourself and your ability to get through it.

Mantra #5

“It’s a slow process, but quitting won’t speed it up.”

We’ve talked about the need to keep going when you’re in the middle of a rough patch in your life. 

The problem is, there is a natural urge to try and run as fast as possible to get through to the other side. But with the stress you are undoubtedly under, it may feel like too much to push on.

That is why it is crucial to allow yourself to move as slowly as you need to. It is far better to make small progress every day than to try and make big leaps and then quit before you are out of your tough time.

There is a reason Lao Tzu’s famous phrase “the journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step” is one of the most shared mantras out there – it’s true!

How do you practice your mantras?

Now that you have five great mantras to reduce your stress, you might be wondering how to incorporate them into your life. Here are a few suggestions to incorporate them into your everyday:

Talk to yourself in the mirror:

Look yourself in the eye and repeat the phrases to yourself every day. Say it with conviction until you start to believe it.

Let the words wash over you and take over every fibre your being. Allow them to build the hope you need to get you through the day until the tough times are over.

Meditate:

Not only is meditation a great way to cope with stress by allowing you to practice mindfulness, but you can also take the quiet time to repeat the mantras in your head and allow yourself to be present with these positive words.

Record yourself:

Record your mantras and play them back to yourself when you feel you need the extra boost.

You may feel unable to get the words out of your mouth when you are in moments of high stress, so having a recording to play can act as a soothing alternative to bring you back to the moment and remind you that better times are to come.

Journal:

One of the best ways to start the day is to open up your journal with your favourite morning drink and journal your feelings.

Make it your morning ritual to write your mantras down each day and set your day off on the right foot. A bit of positivity first thing in the morning can be enough to carry you through the rest of the day.

Final thoughts 

Going through a tough time can break your self-confidence, causing a stressful life period. But all is not lost, and you will get through it.

Tough times happen to the best of us, and by using the mantras laid out in this article, hopefully, you will find the resilience to push through and show life exactly who’s boss.

Because as hard as it is in the moment, better times are waiting on the other side; you just need to keep your hope and manage your stress.

You’re stronger than you think, so keep moving forward.

Learn how to stress relief on your own, by making these mantras part of your life and watch your confidence grow and your stress reduce.

So if you’re going through it right now, keep going because happiness is just around the corner.

You’ve got this!