We all go through hard times. There are periods in our lives when it is hard to find much joy and happiness amid a sea of sadness and overwhelm. We have times when we feel like we’re way over our heads and can’t think straight. That causes lots of stress and as we’ve talked about in a previous blog post, stress kills happiness.

There are also incredibly sad times in our lives. Relationships end and we lose loved ones. There is certainly a time to grieve and we need to process that loss. We also need these sad moments in life to contrast the happier ones. Without sadness, happiness would be very meaningless. Think about that for a moment. If you’re never sad, always happy, happiness becomes the new normal, not something to appreciate and strive toward.

That being said, there are things you can do to find a little happiness during these tough times. Often that is all it takes to help you make it through that period in your life. You can’t expect to flip a switch and suddenly everything is rainbows and roses. And why would you want that? We need time to process and grieve when we lose someone, and the overwhelm and stress help us stay on our toes and get stuff done. What we need is to see a little light at the end of the tunnel. We need that little bit of happiness to give us hope.

Let’s talk about how you can go about creating that little bit of happiness to get you through the hard times. The first thing you may want to focus on is gratitude. Whenever you feel particularly bad, sad, or overwhelmed and don’t know where to turn, think about the many people and things in your life that you can be grateful for. If you’ve recently lost a loved one, be grateful for the time you’ve had with them and the things you’ve learned from this special person. If you’re stressed out at work or in your own business, be grateful that you’re growing and making progress. It may not be easy, but this overwhelm and stress usually means that much better things are ahead.

I find it’s also extremely helpful to find joy in the little things. Maybe you’re not ready to be grateful and that’s ok. Instead, pay attention to your surroundings and find a little joy in what’s around you. Let that toddler playing in the park put a smile on your face. Enjoy the first warm rays of sunshine in the spring, or notice how beautiful that flower in your garden is. In other words, look around and find a little joy and happiness where you can. Above all, remember that even during hard times, it’s ok to find and appreciate these little moments of happiness.