An uncertain future
Are you resilient enough to thrive in a post pandemic world?
Thanks to COVID 19 we are in the early stages of a period of economic uncertainty, projected to be as bad, if not worse, than the Great Depression of the 1930s. The recession is likely to impact on all of us, in some shape or form. For some people it will mean they lose their jobs or livelihoods. Such events are devastating and life changing.
Unexpected curveballs
I know, how devasting and life changing, life’s unexpected curveballs can be. Back in 2010 thanks to the impact of the global financial crisis, I was made redundant. At the time I felt like the rug had been yanked from under my feet and that my future lay in ruins. It was a stressful and painful time for me.
I was fortunate because, even though I didn’t realise it at the time, I was resilient enough to get though the post redundnacy ‘back hole’ I found myself languishing at the bottom of.
For me the redundancy ‘curve ball’ was life changing. I discovered my purpose and instead of looking to continue my old career, I embarked on a new path, becoming a life coach and professional hypnotist. Now I help people to overcome the impact of life’s unexpected curve balls, build their resilience, and their stress and anxiety management skills.
So are you resilient enough to overcome any curve balls life throws at you as we move deeper into economic recession?
And what exactly is resilience and how do you become more resilient?
Let’s take a look …..
What is resilience?
Resilience is your ability to quickly adapt in the face of adversity.
Your ability to adapt is determined by the physical, mental, and external resources you possess at the point in time adversity hits.
- Physical resources – if you are physically fit and healthy, you will be more resilient than if you are not. Your ability to adapt is also influenced by your age.
- Mental resources – a combination of identity, beliefs, mindsets, expectations, thinking habits, knowledge, skills, and abilities (including stress management)
- External resources – a combination of people (e.g. your support network, friends, neighbours) and things (e.g. financial resources, earthquake survival kit)
Your ability to adapt is also influenced by the context. If the adverse event is the same, or similar to, one you’ve experience and survived, you are more likely to believe in your ability to deal with the event. If the event is one you have not experienced before, you may doubt your ability to deal with it.
Why do you need to be resilient?
Resilience enables you to move beyond simply coping in response to adversity and to begin meeting your physical and emotional needs again When your needs are met in balance you can start thriving.
It is important to note that resilience is not a panacea. Life has a habit of throwing us curve balls and there may come a time when no matter how resilient you are a significant curve ball knocks you down and you cannot bounce back quickly. In such an event all you can do is cope to the best of your abilities.
How do you become more resilient?
Resilience is not something you’re born with. It’s developed non-consciously and naturally, over a lifetime, from the challenges and adverse experiences you’ve dealt with, and learned from. Learning to cope with manageable threats is critical for the development of resilience.
So, you are already resilient, however the capabilities and mindsets that underlie resilience can be strengthened to enable you to better cope with future adverse events.
Enhance your resilience
Here are some ways in which you can intentionally enhance your resilience:
- stepping outside your comfort zone, feeling the fear and doing it anyway. For example, a person might join Toastmasters to overcome their fear of public speaking, or a person might do a tandem sky dive to overcome their fear of heights.
- making lifestyle changes particularly those that will enhance your physical wellbeing. For example, stop smoking, exercise for 20 minutes a day, get 8 hours sleep a night.
- taking steps to meet your physical and emotional needs in balance. I’ve written about our emotional needs in earlier blogs.
- developing your stress and anxiety management skills.
- Developing contingency plans to roll out if and when adversity strikes.
For more on resilience check out my earlier blog – Personal Resilience – 3 proven ways to effectively enhance it.
Want some help building your personal resilience?
If you’d like to explore how I can help you enhance your ability to adapt and thrive in the face of adversity – simply schedule a free, no obligation Zoom Discovery Consultation by clicking here – https://bit.ly/2Z2lmmy
A small investment of your time could yield amazing returns. And if ZOOM isn’t your thing, then let’s have that consult over the phone. You can call/text me on 021 056 8389.
Go well ~ Tony
I’m on a mission to help as many people as possible enjoy lives free of unnecessary stress and anxiety. If you’d like my help, or you know someone who would benefit, call/text me today on 021 056 8389 or email tony@tycoaching.nz
