Michelle Bakjac* says in a time of adversity we need to find ways of tapping into our reserves and seize the opportunity to learn, grow and flex our mental muscles.
Sometimes life just does not go to plan (especially this year) and shit just seems to happen continuously.
We struggle to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off.
When we feel like we are knocked down by challenges and stress day after day, we damage our motivation and spark in taking the knock and everything just seems that much harder.
When we feel this way, it can seem that we just can’t find the energy.
Believe it or not, we often have hidden reserves we don’t even know about.
If we stop and give ourselves the opportunity, we can access this reserve and let it kick in when we really need it.
Kick-start yourself into action
When adversity strikes, we can sit and wallow, and sometimes that is reasonable for a short while.
However, at some point we need to adopt an action mindset.
We need to start to consider the steps we need to take to kick-start our thinking around options, resources, ideas and strategies.
We have to access our reserves of potential and see the adversity as an opportunity to learn, grow and flex our mental toughness muscles.
Kick your critic to the kerb
It’s always easier to remember all the times that you didn’t cope or the things that did not go to plan.
This negativity bias we possess means our inner critic can often get the better of us.
Think about a time when you actually exceeded your own expectations.
Remind yourself of the situation and the circumstances and that you could access these reserves when you really needed them.
Just reach out
You really don’t have to be Wonder Woman or Super Man and do everything yourself.
Often there are people around you who really care and all you have to do is ask.
It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help.
Tapping into the resources offered by the people around you only gives you an opportunity to be stronger.
Focus on what you can control
Too often we lament on the things we can’t control, focusing on all the ‘what ifs’ of a situation.
We can spend a lot of our time wishing whatever it was it had never happened.
This is really a waste of energy and quite honestly just drains your brain of more creative thoughts.
So focus on the things you can control — the next action step.
Reframe
Every time you say to yourself: “This is too hard”, reframe a question to self: “So how could you make it easier?”
Identify your strengths
Consider what your key strengths are and whether you are utilising these strengths to their full potential.
If you have a love or learning — are you using this to consider how you can gain skills to manage your current adversity?
If your super-power is curiosity, how could you spark this up and consider all the options you have to master a stressor in your path?
Do you know your super-power and how to use it?
So if you have lost your spark, do yourself a favour: Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and be a Raider of that Lost Spark.
You never know what treasures you will find within your inner resources.
*Michelle Bakjac is an experienced Adelaide-based psychologist, organisational consultant, coach, speaker and facilitator and a Director of Bakjac Consulting. She can be contacted at [email protected].
This article first appeared on the Bakjac Consulting website.
