Sometimes you see it coming, sometimes it overwhelms you: a difficult time with challenges. A time when things are not going well, you are not comfortable in your skin, things are not going the way you would like, or there is burnout. 

"Help how do I get out of this?", may be the first thing on your mind., You condemn the situation as undesirable and confront it; after all, problems are there to be solved. You may wonder why it is there and if you have done something wrong somewhere. You seek answers and solutions.

You put all your time and energy into the situation you want to change. However, in this way you are actually feeding. The issue becomes bigger than it was, because of all the attention it gets. Regularly, it also leads to frustration when you find that the turbulent time is not over yet, despite all your efforts.

Stress arises because you want things to be different than they are. Purely experiencing the situation as it is, without judgment, already takes away a lot of stress. See what happens when you let the situation be there, exactly as it is.

Suppose you have to take a boat across. A huge storm is raging so you know the trip is going to be tough. You probably look for a place in the boat where the boat is most stable. You make sure you can stay as comfortable as possible during the crossing.

Constantly expressing your displeasure with the boat ride only makes the situation worse. This is exactly what we do when we are uncomfortable or experiencing a difficult time. Continually expressing our displeasure about it makes the situation worse, it's more present.

Surrender and make sure you are comfortable this period. Look at what you need in each moment and take action in it. Think about sleep, going out, a good friend's arm around you, eating something you really like, meditating, etc. It is time for rest and reflection. Know that other times will come; the storm will pass.