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My Way to Stay Happy Through Problems: A Personal Roadmap to Inner Peace

How I hold onto joy even when life gets hard

By lonely girlPublished 8 months ago 3 min read

Step 1: I Accept That Problems Are Part of Life

I used to ask, "Why me?" every time life went sideways. Now I ask, "What is this teaching me?"

The first shift was understanding that happiness doesn’t mean a problem-free life — it means becoming someone who can feel peace in the middle of the storm. I stopped resisting reality and started accepting that pain is part of the package of being human. This mindset shift changed everything.

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🧘 Step 2: I Make Time for Silence

When I feel overwhelmed, I don’t run to distractions anymore. I turn off the noise. No phone. No people. Just me and my thoughts — even if they’re messy.

Silence isn’t empty for me anymore. It’s sacred. It’s where I hear my truth. I breathe, I journal, I sit. It’s in these quiet moments that I find clarity and strength.

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📝 Step 3: I Write to Release

I don’t always have the words to say out loud what I’m feeling. So I write.

Sometimes it’s a rant, sometimes it’s a prayer, sometimes it’s just bullet points of what I’m grateful for — but writing gets the chaos out of my head and onto paper. It reminds me that I’ve survived every hard thing so far — and I will survive this, too.

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🧠 Step 4: I Don’t Believe Every Thought I Think

My mind can be dramatic. It tells me, “This is the end,” or “You’re not enough.”

Now, when those thoughts come, I pause and ask: Is this thought helping me or hurting me?

If it’s hurting me, I don’t argue with it — I replace it. I speak truth over my mind. Affirmations like:

“This too shall pass.”

“I am allowed to feel, and still move forward.”

“Not everything I think is true.”

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🧩 Step 5: I Break Problems into Pieces

Big problems used to paralyze me. Now, I break them into tiny actions.

If I’m stressed financially, I don’t spiral — I list one small thing I can control today.

If my heart is hurting, I don’t suppress it — I allow myself a cry, then make a cup of tea.

If life feels too big, I make life small: one task, one deep breath, one kind word to myself.

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💬 Step 6: I Talk (to the Right People)

I don’t suffer in silence anymore.

I’ve learned to reach out — not to vent endlessly, but to be seen. Sometimes I need advice. Sometimes just a hug or a, “That makes sense.”

I’ve chosen friends who listen without judgment and remind me of who I am when I forget.

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✂️ Step 7: I Cut Out What Makes Me Feel Worse

During hard times, I get ruthless with my energy.

No doomscrolling.

No toxic people.

No pretending to be okay when I’m not.

I don’t owe anyone a performance. I owe myself peace.

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🌅 Step 8: I Make Joy a Daily Choice

Even on my worst days, I do one thing that makes me smile:

A walk in fresh air

Dancing in my room

Listening to an old favorite song

Watching a funny video

Lighting a candle and doing nothing

Happiness in hard times isn’t fake — it’s an act of rebellion. And I choose to rebel.

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🔁 Step 9: I Repeat Until It Becomes a Lifestyle

This isn’t a one-time fix — it’s my way of living now.

Whenever life gets hard again (and it will), I return to this path. I’ve built it over time, through tears, through quiet mornings, through little decisions to not give up on joy.

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🌟 Final Thought: My Problems Don’t Define Me — My Peace Does

The world can stay chaotic. Problems will still come. But I’ve learned how to carry peace with me. How to smile while I heal. How to choose light without pretending the darkness doesn’t exist.

This is my way. It’s not perfect, but it’s mine.

And it’s working.

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humor

About the Creator

lonely girl

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  • John Nolen8 months ago

    I really like these steps. I've been there with asking "Why me?" It's a tough habit to break. Making time for silence is key. When I'm swamped, turning off the noise helps me focus. Writing is great too. Sometimes it's hard to put my feelings into words, but getting them on paper calms me down. How do you think these steps could help someone dealing with a really big, long-term problem?

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