We are all feeling uncertain these days. Rather than give in to fear and worry, it is important to learn new ways to cope with change and invite inspiration and positivity into our every day.
Emotions run high when our lives are in crisis and when the world seems to be teetering on the edge. Developing new coping skills and practices is a priority. In every challenge you face is the hidden opportunity to create a new life filled with more possibilities and value then we ever had before.
Here are ten strategies to help you see the potential for joy, security and the realization of your dreams regardless of any current struggles.
Re-Establish Your Priorities Most of us were raised to have a certain approach to the future, planning for long-term security, etc. These days, a new attitude is essential. Focusing on the immediate priorities of family, health and managing finances is where our energies are best spent. While planning a positive future helps us create new things to look forward to, living “one day at a time” is truly the best way to move past any chaos you may be facing and change your life for the better. No moment is as important as this one.
Surround Yourself with Positive People There are people around us everyday who, in spite of their circumstances, forge ahead and find ways to approach each day with optimism and excitement. Find new ways to interact in your community and you will connect with people you may not have noticed before. You may have fewer friends, but the ones you do have will lift you up and inspire you daily.
Broaden Your Perspective Make an effort to find role models who are living the life you seek. There are thousands of examples worldwide of people who most certainly have suffered more and yet have found a wondrous and blessed life. They leave clues that can work just as well for you in own life. If you cannot find them among people you know, seek their stories in media, movies, and books.
Do Something You Love Everyday Everyone has something that they love so much it can help them get through tough times. Personally, music helps me cope. Listening to music fills my soul, reminds me what I care about and gives me the motivation I need to pursue my life with focus, enthusiasm and humility. Choose something that does not require effort or motivation, and simply makes you happy. It will lift your mood, energize you and motivate you to take on the struggles of your day.
Serve Others Regardless of how dark things might be in your life, give your time, attention and resources in any way you can to others. Working with children, the elderly, or others in need can provide relief from your own struggles. It can make you feel useful and part of a bigger community. Isolating yourself is paralyzing. So connect and give, even if it only briefly. Service diminishes depression, helplessness and provides hope to you and to those you help in a deeply meaningful way.
Stay Organized When things get difficult it is very easy to lose track of everything. Time, paperwork, schedules, appointments and even people all seem to fall into a black hole, simply adding to our frustration. Don’t let chaos become your new best friend. Stay clear and keep your life, professionally and personally, well organized. Nothing is more draining than spending hours trying to find something essential that has been misplaced, or reestablish connections that have been damaged due to living our lives in havoc.
Get Up and Move While exercise is ideal and essential at all times, during periods of emotional stress it is more important than ever to move our bodies. Research is clear that moving our body releases chemicals that make it easier to cope with stress and loss. A simple walk or light exercise can work wonders to keep your mood elevated and your focus clear.
Forgive Yourself Let yourself off the hook if things are not going as you had planned in life. Your finances and circumstances may have changed drastically, but if you can find new opportunities in the darkness, you will discover a new life you will cherish even more. Most challenges bring wonderful new potential we could not have foreseen. If you allow yourself to let go of what has happened and give yourself permission to look for a new and different life, you may find that everything is happening for a reason and you can then embrace a new path.
Build a Core Support Circle Make sure you have people around you who can be available to help with any urgent needs. Creating a group of experts, family and friends who will be there when you need advice, financial assistance, time alone, or spiritual and emotional support is crucial during challenging times. Move beyond a social circle and start building a supportive community that you and your family you can depend on.
Be Open to New Possibilities Recent times have been marked by losses on many levels –jobs, finances, homes, relationships, stability, people and places we love. As tragic as things may seem at the outset, loss could lead to a magical opportunity to change your life in ways you never thought possible. Give yourself permission to create a completely new vision of how your life might look. Whether it is your career, your lifestyle and or any other fundamental part of your life, it can be exciting and invigorating to embrace a new reality that you would not have considered before.
We can’t control the journey but we can always control how we experience the journey. So focus on how you feel and on the people you value in your life and not on what is happening to you. As a result, you will feel empowered and inspired each day to remain the architect of your own destiny.
Anne Leedom is the founder of Parentingbookmark.com and Net Connect Publicity. She contributes to several national online publications including Beliefnet.com.