top of page

How To Pick Yourself Up When Life Knocks You Down

  • Writer: Brainz Magazine
    Brainz Magazine
  • Mar 4, 2023
  • 3 min read

Updated: Mar 6, 2023

Written by: Leah Bernath, Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

Whether you are experiencing challenges in your professional life, personal life, relationships, or financial struggles, you may feel defeated, as if the struggles you face are overwhelmingly insurmountable. The truth is not one of us is immune to experiencing difficulties at any given time. In fact, even the most well-known and successful men and women encounter obstacles along their journey to success. Follow these simple steps to get back on track when life knocks you off course.

Allow yourself to feel


The first step is to silence the noise that exists outside you – environment, social media, list of to-dos, other people’s opinions, expectations, and suggestions. Find a quiet space to be still. Turn your attention inward and allow yourself to both feel and process all your emotions, without question or judgement. Understand that emotions are neither inherently good nor bad. They are messages you receive triggered by thoughts you have formed about someone, something, and/or your circumstances. Unconsciously, you assigned a meaning to your feelings, creating an entire narrative around what, why, and how and causing you to dwell in misery, self-pity, or angst longer than you should. Don’t be afraid to sit in the feelings – cry, laugh, get angry – whatever you need to do to move through them and beyond.


Seek outside help – Lean on others

When facing unconquerable difficulties give yourself permission to be vulnerable. Talk to trusted friends, loved ones, and professionals to offer advice, support, and guidance. Be open to new ideas, perspectives, and support received, yet trust your inner voice to determine the best course of action in alignment for you. Sometimes the simple act of feeling seen and supported is enough to propel you forward into action.


Gratitude, Gratitude, Gratitude

Practicing daily gratitude for all of your blessings shifts your mindset from all that is lost, lacking, or not yet manifested to all the good that both exists and awaits you. Take 5-10 minutes each day to journal what you are grateful for, proud of, excited about, and looking forward to in your future. Write down what you desire as if it has already happened. Practicing consistent gratitude reduces fear-based beliefs and enables you to embody desire-based beliefs, ultimately allowing you to see your world through new lenses, solve problems, create innovative solutions and ideas, and tap into your intrinsic power.


S.A.S (small actionable steps)


List out small, incremental, and actionable steps you can take to overcome your struggles. Decide how and when you will go about them. Create a system to hold yourself accountable along the way and solicit support if needed. Implement these changes with consistency, intention, and desire. Even the tiniest shifts can build large momentum and results. Before you realize you will have turned the corner, reached new heights, and looked back with a knowing smile – only you held the power to pick yourself back up when life tried to knock you down.


Follow me on Instagram and visit my website for more info!


Leah Bernath, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine

Leah Bernath, Leader/CEO of Your Best Self, LLC, is a leading Empowerment & Success Coach, helping her clients thrive amidst difficult life transitions, unleash their intrinsic power, gain confidence, and level-up in their careers and relationships to manifest the life of their dreams. With over 20 years as a multidisciplinary expert in interior design, commercial real estate, entrepreneurship, coaching, and health and fitness, her diverse professional career has provided her with wisdom, experience, and success, despite enduring many life changes. Her mission is to elevate women to embody their ‘best self’ to achieve the success and abundance they desire personally and professionally, without limitations.

 
 

This article is published in collaboration with Brainz Magazine’s network of global experts, carefully selected to share real, valuable insights.

Article Image

Why It’s Time to Ditch New Year’s Resolutions in Midlife

It is 3 am. You are awake again, unsettled and restless for no reason that you can name. In the early morning darkness you reach for comfort and familiarity, but none comes.

Article Image

Happy New Year 2026 – A Letter to My Family, Humanity

Happy New Year, dear family! Yes, family. All of us. As a new year dawns on our small blue planet, my deepest wish for 2026 is simple. That humanity finally remembers that we are one big, wonderful family.

Article Image

We Don’t Need New Goals, We Need New Leaders

Sustainability doesn’t have a problem with ideas. It has a leadership crisis. Everywhere you look, conferences, reports, taskforces, and “thought leadership” panels, the organisations setting the...

Article Image

Why Focusing on Your Emotions Can Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick

We all know how it goes. On December 31st we are pumped, excited to start fresh in the new year. New goals, bold resolutions, or in some cases, a sense of defeat because we failed to achieve all the...

Article Image

How to Plan 2026 When You Can't Even Focus on Today

Have you ever sat down to map out your year ahead, only to find your mind spinning with anxiety instead of clarity? Maybe you're staring at a blank journal while your brain replays the same worries on loop.

Article Image

Why Christmas Triggers So Many Emotions, and How to Navigate the Season with More Ease

Christmas is supposed to be “the most wonderful time of the year,” yet many people feel overwhelmed inside, anxious, or alone as the holidays approach. If you find yourself dreading family...

Why Wellness Doesn’t Work When It’s Treated Like A Performance Metric

The Six-Letter Word That Saves Relationships – Repair

The Art of Not Rushing AI Adoption

Coming Home to Our Roots – The Blueprint That Shapes Us

3 Ways to Have Healthier, More Fulfilling Relationships

Why Schizophrenia Needs a New Definition Rooted in Biology

The Festive Miracle You Actually Need

When the Tree Goes Up but the Heart Feels Quiet – Finding Meaning in a Season of Contrasts

The Clarity Effect – Why Most People Never Transform and How to Break the Cycle

bottom of page