When life crashes down hard on you, and you feel like the mounting struggle is smothering you, I used to have a tendency to think that barreling through all of it at once was the only way to survive. After all, it makes sense that if we just get through it faster it will be over quicker, right?

It’s taken years to alter this initial response in myself, but I’ve discovered this kind of thinking often only exacerbates the issue rather than eases the burden I’m under. Because, even if I somehow manage to lift that boulder squishing me, it’s still a boulder on my shoulders that has to be dealt with.

The problems we face often have many facets, or issues intertwined. Trying to deal with them all lump together can be on overwhelming prospect for anyone. But, if you work through one thread at a time, those struggles become a little easier to face. Sure, there’s still a good-sized lump left to work through, but chipping away at problems are less exhaustive than trying to overcome them all at once. And trust me—life doesn’t ever stop throwing you problems, so you’re going to want to pace yourself. The good news—every victory, no matter how small, will give you an extra shot of strength to keep on fighting.