When you’re facing a major event in your life, it can feel like it will take more effort than you can possibly give to turn it around.
From my personal experience, it can seem like it’s insurmountable.
Here’s some advice from someone who’s recently lived through this experience:
- Acknowledge that it’s overwhelming, but start. Just start by tackling things one by one. The only way out of the overwhelming is to take each thing in front of you, no matter how big, one step at a time. In a very short time, you will see progress and it will lighten your load.
- Act with integrity, respect and kindness each step of the way. Keep a big heart; take action knowing that you’re treating others the way you want to be treated. No matter what the situation, if you can find your best self and start from that place. You’re going to do the right thing.
- Name what you need. Drop all the expectations for what you “should” do or what others expect of you – and do what feels right to you.
- Have courage. Act with bravery and muster up the energy for what’s in front of you. Even if you don’t feel it at the time, you can find it deep within yourself and it will carry you through.
- Ask others for help. This is probably #1 on the list – but is the hardest to do because it requires vulnerability. We don’t want to tell others how they can help us because we don’t want to have to acknowledge that we need help. But people want to help. Give them something to do and it will have a huge, positive and long-lasting impact – on you, and on them.
- Keep the faith. Be strong. Know that there are better things out there and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Sheri Browning is a Partner at PeopleResults. You can reach her at sbrowning@people-results.com or on Twitter @sbPResults.
