This card isn’t all bad. Swords represent problem-solving, and the 9 shows you’re at the final stretch of dealing with an issue. The Ten comes after, showing what happens once the problem’s fully resolved.
On the 9 of Swords card, the person is clearly struggling — wide awake, stressed, covering her face — but she’s still working through it. She’s not broken, just stuck in that tough moment before the answer appears.
The key is that this card shows effort and worry before the solution. The problem isn’t fixed yet, but if you keep pushing through, it will be. So yeah, the 9 means hard work and stress, but it also promises progress and eventual resolution.