Fact of life: It sucks sometimes. Here's how you can still enjoy it.

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Getting caught up in things that go wrong can lead to missing out on life's positives and decreased enjoyment. It's hard to feel good when overwhelmed or burdened by circumstances.

Recently, on the way home from work I was sitting in stopped traffic, wet from being caught in a downpour, and hungry. I wasn't super excited about my predicament until I noticed the bumper sticker on the car in front of me:

“Embrace the suck".

I wouldn't normally give a bumper sticker much thought but tonight I was going nowhere fast and had the time. It made me crack up. What a great way to knock me out of a negative moment. Why fight it? It wasn't going to help me get home quicker.

Ups and Downs are normal. Focus on the positive!

Having ups and downs is a normal part of life and needs to be recognized for what it is: a bump in the road that will pass. The quicker we can let the bump go the more chance we have to enjoy our life and focus on the positive.

Regular self-care is key to being balanced. If we are balanced and get thrown a curveball, we can more easily let it go and move forward from it.

"Embracing the suck" is a reminder to take life in stride. By not getting too caught up in the fact that I was hungry, wet, and sitting in traffic my trip home was more enjoyable. I listened to music and took a rare moment to sit and do nothing.

Take life in stride to decrease stress

Having a healthy perspective on life and life's challenges will help you weather the intermittent storms with less chaos and angst. We can set ourselves up for an easier time letting things go if we regularly practice self-care.

Many times we get worked up about relatively minor inconveniences that aren't worth wasting energy on. Are they fun? No, of course not. But are they worth getting upset over? Lots of times they aren't. I'm sure we all can all recognize times when we were reactive emotionally (sometimes overreactive) to a stressor or annoyance when sleep deprived, hungry, etc...

If you are feeling stuck in the negative, take a moment to survey yourself. Are you tired? Stressed? Is an unrelated issue bothering you and therefore the current situation seems worse than it is? Even if you can't address or change the stressor at that moment, understanding where the emotions are coming from gives a better chance to let them go.

Don't forget, there’s so much in life that we DO have control over.

1. Take some time to reassess how well you are balancing your life.
2. What more could you do to manage stresses and appreciate the positive?
3. What are you grateful for? Don't underestimate the power of this simple act.

The better balance you have, the easier it will be to “embrace the suck" that happens, let it go, and move forward to enjoy life.

Need some help staying balanced?

Sign up here to receive a year of monthly email prompts that will help you reassess, and keep moving forward with your goals. These are your reminders to refocus when you get off balance and will help you stay on track.

Keep yourself on a healthy path with these posts:

11 Effective Interventions for Depression

Do what you are afraid of! Stop letting anxiety control you

8 Great Options to Treat Insomnia (Without Medication)

Let us know what you do to move forward when you are feeling stuck and negative.

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Dr. Melissa Welby is a psychiatrist practicing in CT. She is one of LinkedIn Top Voices and a healthcare blogger.

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Feedback is welcomed. To submit your questions, ideas, find resources, or to simply learn more about optimizing mental health visit her blog or email her directly at contact@drmelissawelby.com.

 A version of this article was first published here, on the blog of Dr. Melissa Welby