Walk away and go level up.
Lots of easy/no combat level up methods have been detailed in this thread.
Use your level points to stack whatever attributes are best for your build I.E strength for melee, INT/Faith for magic. Don’t spread them around too much.
Get a golden shield from one of the early enemies and work on your dip/dodge game.
Pretty much every attack can be dodged, you just have to time it right. Wait til the last moment then dodge.
You don’t have to fight every enemy. In fact you shouldn’t fight every enemy. Really you should only fight when you are farming runes. Otherwise run past them to get to your objective.
The game isn’t too hard once you “get it”.
Really just can’t play it like any other game you’ve played.
If you are not too far in, might be best to start over with a magic character, as they are easier early on.