A couple days ago, a friend confided in me that she was going through a difficult time and wanted to know if I had any advice to help her navigate through it.

Here's what I told her…

1. READ THIS.

If you've already read it, read it again (especially Tips #13 and #18).

2. FIND SOMETHING TO BE GRATEFUL FOR EVERY DAY.

This helps to put things in perspective and focus on the good in your life instead of your current struggles. No matter how tough your situation is, you can always find something to be grateful for. Maybe it's being able to walk. Or maybe it's having a roof over your head. The more you do this exercise, the more effortless it'll be to come up with things in your life that you appreciate, no matter what you're going through. Read this and then read this to learn a more specific technique for incorporating gratitude into your day.

3. GET PRESENT.

This ensures that you're not dwelling in the past or worrying about the future. This deep breathing exercise (or yoga or meditation) will help.

4. REDUCE YOUR TOXIC LOAD & GET YOUR BODY INTO A MORE ALKALINE STATE.

Here's how. This will help you better manage challenging times because it is in these moments, when it's more important than ever to take care of yourself. Your body and mind are likely stressed as it is (which puts your body in an acidic state) so practicing lifestyle habits that get you more alkaline will help buffer that stress.

5. REDUCE YOUR STRESS AND RELAX.

Here are 20 ways you can start relaxing today.

6. BEGIN AND END EACH DAY WITH NOURISHMENT.

Start the day with a green smoothie (a.k.a. healing nutrients in a glass) and finish up the day with a cup of caffeine-free, herbal, stress-relieving, tea to help you calm down and unwind before bed. Avoid eating sugar and bread as much as you can...those can cause your mood to plummet or go haywire and that's the last thing you need when you're in the midst of a challenging situation.

7. GET AT LEAST 7-9 HOURS OF SLEEP EACH NIGHT.

Give your body the chance to heal every night and avoid burn out.

Remember that going through crappy times is a part of life. We all go through our ups and downs...that's the way it is. Oftentimes these times are beyond our control, which can contribute even more to our feelings of helplessness, frustration, fear, and sadness. What we can control, however, is our attitude toward our unique situation. Every time I am experiencing a "down", I always tell myself it's temporary and that I will get through it. Then I think back to examples in my life when I thought there was no end in sight and eventually things got better. If you're going through a tough time right now, I encourage you to try the tips above.

What are your go-to strategies for when times get tough? Share them in the Comments section below!