HOW TO NAVIGATE TURBULENT TIMES
The old adage, “The only constant in life is change,” has never been more relevant.
If, at this point, you’re cruising through life, wondering what everyone is fussing about, you’ve either been living under a rock, didn’t receive the memo, or you are one of a few elite people immune to the effects of our rapidly changing world!
I deliberately chose to use the word ‘turbulence’ in today’s post because I think it is such an apt descriptor of life as we experience it nowadays.
Those who have flown recently will know how it is to be relaxing and enjoying a perfectly smooth ride one moment, only to transition to a state of high anxiety as your plane starts getting thrown around in the sky, without warning, the next.
Great analogy
That’s a great analogy for life.
Life has a habit of surprising us—sometimes in pleasant ways, and sometimes in ways that leave us wondering what we did to invite such disharmony or distress.
Airlines will attest to the fact that general levels of air turbulence are intensifying. The cause, no doubt, is the same as that attributable to the growing instability of our global climate.
Increasing volatility and unpredictability
Like the air above us, life on the ground—at least for the great majority of us—is characterised by change that is increasing in volatility and unpredictability.
Why?
The answer is complex and would make a great subject for another article. However, it’s safe to say, for now, that it is closely linked with the exponential pace of technological change that our current stage of human evolution is witnessing.
What can we do?
Since that trend is surely set to continue, the big money question has to be …
“What can we do in our personal lives to help navigate this turbulence and make it more manageable?”
Clearly, there is no handbook. Anyone who claims to have all the answers is simply being disingenuous.
But, as someone with firsthand experience of the rollercoaster called life, I’d like to offer six important reflections.
These have helped me to navigate the many inevitable dips in my own life. And I hope that they may prove to be of some help to you too.
1. Understand that this is more than just about you.
It’s important to differentiate between life at what I call the ‘macro’ and ‘micro’ levels.
As we are at pains to explain in life coaching, we are—at the micro level— the creators of our own destinies. We engage in making choices and taking actions that have consequences, for which we must accept responsibility in order to learn and grow.
But we do not exist in a personal bubble. We are part of all that is and, as such, we are impacted—at the macro level—by the trends and changes that form part of the world and, indeed, the universe that we live in.
It is easy to assume that changes in life at the macro level are self-inflicted. It’s human nature to become intensely self-critical when our lives take unexpected and unpleasant turns.
The two words, “What if …” jump to the fore in our thinking as we search inside to identify why and how we went wrong and what we can do to fix things.
But life at the macro level is not that simple.
Sometimes it is helpful to acknowledge that there are higher powers and forces at play and that simple acceptance is the best approach to adopt.
2. Know that this storm will pass (it always, always does)
Often, the most difficult thing to do, when you unexpectedly find yourself plunged into a period of severe turbulence, is to focus on the fact that it is temporary.
But that’s when invoking the other old adage can serve you well:
“Nothing in life is permanent.”
When you’re in a dark alleyway full of dragons, it’s hard to imagine being in a sunlit field full of butterflies … but hang in there. The light will come, it always does.
3. Confront your worst fears
In times of distress, we humans have a way of worrying intensely about worst-case scenarios that, ironically, are most unlikely to come about.
This may sound like strange advice, but I have found that it often helps to drag your worst fears out of your subconscious mind and into your conscious mind, and then apply your conscious mind to dealing with the scenarios that they present.
You see, our worst fears tend to linger in our subconscious minds, causing us huge emotional anxiety … that is, until we deliberately ‘out’ them and devise a plan to handle them.
The thought of bankruptcy, losing your house, losing your job, or losing your best friend, for example. These are worst-case scenarios that can weigh heavily on your mind in times of stress.
But when you consciously rationalise “OK, so what if I lose my job over this?” you start the process of removing the sting.
4. Summon your inner power and resilience.
When you’re experiencing duress, it may seem inappropriate to dwell on past situations that caused you pain and anxiety.
That said, remembering how you overcame past obstacles and stressful times can be really helpful in reconnecting you with your inner resilience and fortitude.
Whether you believe it or not, you are an amazing individual, capable of so much more than you probably realise.
Reflecting on how you overcame past challenges and difficulties can have a powerful effect by reminding you of this, so you can command your internal cavalry to ride to your aid!
5. Allow yourself periods of temporary detachment
We humans have a strange relationship with stress.
Exposure to stress over short periods can optimise our efficiency and effectiveness. However, prolonged stress causes us to become moribund and can lead to disease and illness.
That’s why, during times of turbulence, we need to practice occasional detachment.
It’s easier said than done, of course, as our nature is to remain in a state of high anxiety while we are living through a painful experience.
But this is when it can be helpful to imagine that we are part of a simulation, or play, and that we are ‘floating above’ watching as the drama unfolds below.
Detaching temporarily from the drama helps us realise that we are part of something much bigger. That helps put our life and our troubles into context, which, in turn, lightens our load and lessens the pain and intensity of the experience.
6. Commit to use the experience to grow and develop
When the painful experience comes to an end, as it inevitably will, practice gratitude by committing yourself to learn from the experience and use it to promote your personal growth and development.
This is a fundamental tenet of life coaching.
The problems we experience from time to time are actually opportunities (sometimes in very heavy disguise) to learn, grow and develop. In doing so, we become even better versions of ourselves.
In closing, there’s no question that life can be a wild ride—and one that seems to be getting even wilder as time progresses!
Remember, you’re not going through this alone. We’re all in this together.
So let’s buckle up and make every effort to get the very best out of it!
