Powerful Words of Encouragement for Hard Times + 6 Action Steps to Help You Overcome Them

Gas prices were up, food prices were up, tolls went up, there was an extra fee for everything it seemed like. Yet pay remained the same. Then our air conditioner broke, just as summer was in full swing. It seemed like it was one thing after another and we couldn’t catch a break. I could have really used some words of encouragement for hard times, because man, this certainly qualified as “tough times.” 

The beauty is that tough times don’t last. We know this, yet in the middle of them, we feel like there’s an eternity between us and brighter days.

If you’ve been feeling like you’re in the middle of hard times and you’re in need of support, you’re in the right place, friend. After reading this post, you’ll feel relieved because you’ll read words of encouragement and learn actionable steps to get you through which will allow you to adjust your mindset in the middle of hard times.

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It’s Normal to Go Through Hard Times

You are normal! Let’s start there. You’re not immune to the valleys of life, and as it’s been said, if you’re not in a valley now, you’ll get there eventually.

I don’t mean to sound pessimistic at all, but this is just the reality of life.

Friend, you are normal for needing words of encouragement for hard times!

(Here’s a bible study for when things don’t go as planned. I seriously love this company’s studies!)

If you’re in the middle of a hard time, you might be feeling/experiencing:

Burnout

Like you’re at your wit’s end and can’t take any more. Your interest level may be low, your focus is gone, and you are feeling kind of indifferent about most things.

Disappointment

It’s likely you’re feeling sad about what isn’t happening, or upset about what IS happening. Your feelings of disappointment are valid. When you’re going through something tough, it’s normal to grieve the loss of something (a job, a relationship, a season of life, a title change…).

| Related Reading: 19 Easy Ways to be More Patient with Yourself

Jealousy

When you’re in the middle of a hard time, it’s so easy to look around at others (especially on social media) and compare your life to theirs. You may feel super jealous because it LOOKS like everyone else has everything going for them. (FYI: they don’t!)

Lack of Contentment

When you’re content, you’re at peace with how things are. Don’t mistake contentment with complacency though. When things are tumultuous in your life, you may feel like you have no peace, like you’re totally unhappy with your life and circumstances.

Grief

This is a huge one. It’s super common to grieve the loss of something- anything- when you’re going through hard times. It’s possible to grieve more than just a person (though that’s the most common perception of grief). You can grieve the loss of your time, resources, role, identity, and more.

Mental Health Issues

When times are tough, stress rises. And when stress rises, your mental health can suffer. If you’re feeling extra down, anxious, or jittery during a difficult time, don’t beat yourself up for it. That’s normal. Instead, hop on over to the Inner Health and Wellness category of my blog.

Financial Struggles

Often, in our “adulting” years, hard times mean times when money is tight. Maybe you lost your job or had an accident where you incurred an unexpected expense. Most families are one small disaster or hiccup away from financial ruin, believe it or not. 

(This is the program my husband and I used to get our finances straight right at the beginning of our marriage! It was a tooootal lifesaver and I attribute our savings to this author’s ideas!)

Relationship Trouble

When we’re uber stressed and our lives are crazy, it’s easy to put relationships on the back burner, or become short with our partners. This makes going through a tough time even harder because we don’t have our normal support system. For more on restoring relationships, read here.

Work Stress

Maybe you’re going through a difficult time in your personal life, and work stress is just adding to it. Or maybe your challenge is work itself. Most of us spend 40 hours (or more!) working each week, so it’s no wonder our job is the source of a lot of our stress.

I listed all these common experiences out because I want you to know you are normal for experiencing them!

Words of Encouragement for the Hard Times

The beautiful thing is that tough times don’t last forever.

Think back:

When was a time where you felt you were in a really tough spot? You got out of it, didn’t you?

Ask yourself: what did it take to get you out of that hard time? Was it time? A support system? Prayer? Hard work?

I want you to be encouraged by the fact that you’re not in that hard time you once felt would last forever. You came out of it!

Remember this: IT’S ONLY TEMPORARY

I’ll say it again. The thing that you’re in the middle of right now is temporary. Tough times don’t last forever.

I recently read a book dedicated completely to the idea that you are in the middle of your story right now and there’s much more to come on the other side of your current struggle. It’s by one of my favorite authors, Jordan Lee Dooley. Get the book Embrace your almost here.

This book is such an encouragement for the times when you’re in the middle, when life doesn’t seem to go your way, or when you’re not where you thought you’d be in life. I couldn’t recommend it more! It really changed my perspective on trials and the “in betweens” of life.

For my other book recommendations, click here.

This section of this blog post is just me giving you words of encouragement for the hard times,  being your cheerleader and yelling from the sidelines of your struggle, telling you that this pain, discomfort, unhappiness, or discouragement WILL fade. It will lessen in time.

But I know you probably don’t want to wait for time to do it’s magic thaaang, so… I’ve included some action steps that you can implement (you know I love actionable things you can actually DO) so you can move past this hard time.

Tough Times Don’t Last When You Take These Action Steps

Start a Gratitude Journal

When you’re in the middle of a difficult season in life, it’s easy to focus on all that’s going wrong. But keeping a gratitude journal is one of my favorite ways to shift my perspective. 

Here’s how I do this: every evening right before bed, I write a few things from that specific day that I’m grateful for in my journal. 

My journal is just a yearly planner with 10 or so lines for each day. It’s helpful to journal every day when you’re focusing on gratitude and even better if you can date your entries or get a journal that has slots for each day. (Mine is from TJMaxx, but here’s a similar one.

When you are intentional about focusing on a handful of good things in your day, you’ll see that you’ll be noticing more good things, and maybe even less about the tough time you’re in. This is called shifting your perspective, and WOW it’s a powerful thing.

You can be in the middle of the worst trial, but with a positive mindset, you’ll be better off than if you were in a better circumstance with a negative mindset.

Do a Thought Dump

This is another way of journaling. A thought dump is an exercise where you write down everything that’s on your mind. Jot down all your scattered thoughts, and let your mind go as you write. 

Don’t worry about spelling or grammar, just write away. You don’t have to follow any logical progression of thoughts. A thought dump is just a bunch of random thought streams put together one after another.

Sometimes, if I really have a lot to say, I’ll type it out in an email draft. But it’s cathartic to hand-write. You can use a blank sheet of paper or journal like this one.

Connect to a Support System

When you’re looking for words of encouragement for hard times, one of the best action steps you can take is to get plugged in to your community.

This could mean your church community, your spouse or significant other, bestie, sibling, or parent. 

Getting “plugged in” simply means not closing yourself in your room when you’re going through a tough time. Remember, tough times don’t last, so in the middle of it, make the most of it by seeking support!

I’ve already written about how to find the right people.

A key here is to do it consistently. Getting together just one time in the middle of your tough time is good, but not enough to create a sense of fellowship and support.

Maybe this means setting plans with a close friend once a month consistently. Or you get coffee with your mom every Sunday afternoon. You could have an at-home date night with your love on Fridays.

It’s the conversation, the communal aspect of getting together. You don’t even have to get together to talk specifically about what you’re going through. Simply being with others, enjoying conversation (about anything) and company is lifegiving!

Of course, if it feels good, go for it and talk it out. Working through your thoughts out loud can be super clarifying and helpful. Just like journaling, talking it out can solidify some abstract thoughts and help you make sense of them.

Pray About It

Maybe you’re a Christian, maybe you’re not. I have a whole category dedicated to faith-based blog posts that you can check out if you’re interested.

I believe that prayer is SO STINKING powerful, and I have a journal filled with answered prayers to prove it! God is working in your life whether you realize it or not.

Related reading: 3 Misconceptions about Prayer SHATTERED + 3 Tips for More Meaningful Prayer

And He desires a relationship with you. He knows how many hairs are on your head, a seemingly insignificant fact, so imagine how much more he cares about your current difficult situation!

Go to Him in prayer. You don’t have to use fancy words or pray a super long prayer, just talk to Him like you would a friend. He cares SO much about what’s going on in your head. And He has all the power to change it, so go ahead and ask.

Start or Pick Up a Hobby

I love this action step because as we get older, we spend less and less time doing things we love. We get busy with life, that’s just how it seems to go.

(I care so much about taking the time to do the things I love, that I created a calendar with ideas of activities I can do each day! Find it here.)

Think about what activity or thing you’ve done where it seems like time doesn’t pass. That’s likely a great place for you to start.

And when I say “hobby” I don’t mean it has to be something typical like birdwatching or crafting. Your activity can be anything that you genuinely enjoy! 

For me, it’s laying in my hammock! I am absolutely obsessed with it because it makes me feel like I’m on vacation!

Engaging in a fun activity you love often will really help you get out of a funk when you’re going through a hard time. Again, it will help you change your perspective. 

When you’re going through something hard, not every thought has to be about your circumstance. You don’t HAVE to be consumed with it. You’re allowed to let yourself have fun! Some sort of hobby might be just what you need to get out of your head and enjoy your life even when things aren’t ideal.

Have a Go-To Activity to Boost Your Mood

This is along the same lines as finding a hobby, but a bit different.

When you feel your mood starting to sink, it’s super helpful to have a go-to thing that boosts your mood in the middle of a hard time.

For me, it’s taking a ride to the bay. What’s yours? Think of a simple activity you can keep in your back pocket to keep you afloat when you feel like you’re drowning in your circumstances.

Let’s Bring it Home

If you’re going through a tough time and need support, I hope you found these words of encouragement for hard times helpful. Remember, tough times don’t last forever. And there are a handful of things you can do to get through! 

What action step do you think you’ll try out first? Let me know in the comments!

I hope you feel relieved after reading these words of encouragement and learned actionable steps to get you through difficult times. These action steps will allow you to adjust your mindset in the middle of those hard times.