Sometimes when bad things happen, they seem to happen all at once. Dr. Robin says within three months, a couple she is very good friends with both lost their mothers, and one of them lost a sibling. The pain and grief the couple suffered was enormous, and Dr. Robin says the stress involved could have easily squeezed the life out of them. Instead, Dr. Robin says her friends found a way to keep their life force intact. "Your world is not just your current situation that is squeezing you to death—there is life after the storm," she says. How can you survive a "big squeeze"? Dr. Robin shares her tips:

• Get outside. Dr. Robin says going outside and breathing fresh air is biochemically important—it relaxes your mind and body. "Being outside—getting oxygen in your lungs—actually changes not just your body, it can begin to change your mind and your perspective," she says.
• Surround yourself with friends. Dr. Robin says you need to have people around you who empower, edify and build you up. "You can't go through that season and overcome that season if you aren't surrounded by good energy," she says.
• Expand your world. Volunteering, training for a marathon or reading a good book are all things that Dr. Robin says you can do to help you through the "big squeeze." "Get yourself connected in an activity or an event that reinforces the fact that there are good things going on in your life," she says.