Game is advertised as being "brutal" ... once you know what you are doing it isn't too difficult at all... the actual "brutal" part is the death mechanic.

It IS unforgiving for a reason... the game is easy enough, it needs a way to teach you things.. the pain of loss should make you rethink what you are doing.

In terms of building there are two key factors you should be aware of.

First - Maximum fall damage is 100. You could fall from another planet and still be fine if your health is over 100.

Second - You can dismantle, at no cost, anything you build. You could have put up a 3 piece wide staircase to where you were going and just removed it later.

Keep in mind these are valuable things to know and learn. You will need this knowledge later when you have to climb high into trees for a resource.