So, you’re about to give the presentation of your career, when suddenly, your heart starts racing. At this point, you’re probably asking, “How Can I Focus Through This Chaos?”
Well, let’s pause for a second, and figure it out, together.
The truth is... we’d all love to handle every awful situation with a genuine sense of calm, rising on the side of success! But, there it is..that pesky stress, creeping its ugly head into your shining moment, creating a negative spiral that multiplies fast, causing more harm than good. Followed by a barrage of poor decisions, hurt relationships and often an inevitable hit to our health.
When we feel anxious, we often operate in a survival state. A survival state shows up as behaviour that is desperate, defensive, aggressive and creates conflict.
What we’re really after, is the opposite - a resourceful state: staying present, composed, and calm.
Let’s expand on that a little bit. When we’re in a survival state, our emotions can take over, feeling heated, overwhelmed & tense (*aka - H.O.T), we let our emotions dictate how we act, often...badly!
But, with a little work, we can act from a resourceful state instead. Because we all know, our reputation and health are at stake, especially when things go bad.
That’s why it’s important to recognise survival state triggers. Like high-pressured tasks, trauma from a previous experience, or elevated levels of stress at work. Triggers that bring on negative thoughts, manifesting as physical symptoms - fast or shallow breathing, sweating, or nausea. Creating a negative feedback loop of more stress.
So, what can we do to stay calm in the chaos more often and truly control emotions?
Step into a resourceful state of mind – and to make it easier, use an acronym known as A.C.T All it takes is 3 simple steps:
Ask yourself, “What are the Alternatives at play and how can I adapt to overcome them?”
Look at all the Consequences of emotions and actions. Creating the opportunity to expand options and protect from feelings of helplessness and fear.
Take on Tasking – you can do this by choosing a behaviour that will help keep you on track and moving towards your target. To overcome your fear of public speaking you may choose to stand in courage.
In the heat of the moment, it can be tough, but the alternative of operating in a survival state can have devastating effects on your key relationships long term.
So, which state of mind would you choose when you’re faced with a difficult situation?
Until next time! Life’s good.
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