Why is life so hard? It's not always easy to be happy and content with what we have. Sometimes, it feels like the weight of the world is on our shoulders, making it feel impossible to stand up straight. We often find ourselves asking "why?" when really, there is no answer. Unfortunately, there will never be an explanation that can make sense of all of the bad things in this world and how they happen. But don't let that discourage you from living your best life! In this blog post, I'll share some thoughts about why life is so hard, as well as a few ways to get through those tough times.

Almost everything in life has a monetary value attached.

Money is one major thing that can make our lives difficult. By itself, money is not the one causing the hardships in our lives but the means of acquiring it. Not everybody has an equal chance of earning money. People living in more affluent countries have more and better opportunities than those living in poorer countries. Job opportunities, access to healthcare facilities, prices of commodities, and government benefits vary greatly depending on where you live.

Our most basic needs demand money. Food, clothing, water, and shelter require money to buy. Having a decent house alone can cost millions. Even things that are not tangible, like professional counseling services, cost money. Companies can get stingy in terms of giving pay to their employees. The list goes on.

Relationships went wrong

People can also be one significant factor why we might think life is so hard. Some people can be pretty nasty towards their treatment of other people. The lack of empathy can bring so much pressure. Also, some people did not experience a good upbringing from their parents during their youth. Having a fallout with your friend, family, or special someone can take a toll on your mind and contribute to thinking that life is hard.

Societal pressure 

There's the illusion that we have freedom in life. To a certain extent, we are capable of doing what we want in life. However, there is a system that exists. Money is a controlling factor in the system. One must earn an educational degree and get a job to make money. It feels like life runs on a script. First, you are born into this world, then you have to spend around 20 years in education, and after that spend about 40 years doing a job that will let you earn money and then retire when you are old.

Society puts a layer of pressure aside from what we mentioned above. It's as if there are invisible rules that you must follow. People expect others to behave in a certain way. When you're at a certain age, they expect you to have already attained a particular accomplishment or obtained certain possessions. Going astray from these expectations will lead society to shun you, thus making life even more difficult. Everyone else must conform.

Comparing yourself to others makes you miserable.

Social media is not bad by itself. However, it did introduce to us a new way of peeking into the lives of others. Years ago, we were limited to our circle of friends, immediate family members, and relatives. Now, you can get to know and communicate with almost anyone in the world. This technology can lead to us comparing our own lives with that of others. Feelings of pressure and envy can enter our minds. You might think, why does it seem like other people have such an easy and good life. Why not me? Your emotions can get swayed to the negative side of things.

The enemy is you

Sometimes, you don't have to look far at what's making your life so hard. It can be you, and by you, we mean your way of perceiving things. It's easy to think of things negatively when the challenges in our life become too much. Another thing that can add to the struggle is that we might not have learned essential skills that we could have used to better our lives. We might have had the opportunity to better ourselves in the past, but if we chose to dawdle around, it could have a detrimental effect later in our lives. Taking everything by yourself can also really make life hard.

Life is hard. What can I do then?

Life is hard. It is easy to accept this notion, or you can turn it around. Your way of thinking is the first thing you can adjust. Bad things happen. You can change how you see bad things in your life. One might think it's easy for others to advise because they are not the ones who are in your situation, and this is quite true but try not to take it all alone. Talk to your friend, family, or support group to make you feel better. If you don't have friends or any immediate family member around you, you can try getting some help from a life coach or a therapist. It's even easier to communicate with somebody nowadays with all the online communication tools we have at our disposal.

It's never too late to try learning some new skills. You can now discover many things online without having to go to expensive schools or training centers. Learn something you are interested in, which you know will help you get better opportunities in life. Nowadays, a good number of work opportunities are work-from-home jobs. You can try learning how to write good articles or if you have some programming or technical skill involving computers, that can work too. If you have something you can sell, be it products or your knowledge, you can engage in online business. The opportunities are there.

Living our life today can be challenging with everything that's happening with the pandemic and the various measures that add lots of difficulties and pressure in our daily lives. Natural disasters can instantly wreak havoc in our lives, and we do not have much control over these things. The critical thing is to focus on what we can control. Focus on things we can change and improve. Get help and support from others while improving yourself. There are many reasons why life is hard, but there are also many reasons to make life easier. It's up to us to make it happen.