Everyone has a crisis at some point in life.
Popular financial author Dave Ramsey sums it up best: save for when it rains, not if it rains. Life throws curve balls, and it will rain eventually. Instead of dreading if the rain will happen, we can learn how to better prepare for these crises so we can thrive in life’s inevitable storms.
Preparing for the Rain
The idea of an unavoidable crisis can be overwhelming. All too often it’s met with a sense of panic or powerlessness that leaves us anxious and depressed. We get trapped in the negative pattern of “what ifs”. Self talk is filled with “I can’t”, “nobody is there for me”, I’m alone”, etc, etc.
Everyone has these anxious thoughts on some level. It’s normal to have a period of fear or sadness when a crisis comes your way. However, the more quickly you can move from paralyzed to prepared is critical in protecting yourself from panic and despair. Some people appear to cope better than others in moments of crisis, but really, they’ve prioritized problem solving and learned how to prepare. One way you can strengthen your coping skills is by developing a “solutions-focused” mindset. Here are my 5 tips on how to swiftly move through a crisis with this approach.
5 Rules for a Solution-Focused Mind:
- Acknowledge your feelings and resist the tendency to want to run away.
- Adjust your thinking to what you can do vs what you can’t. Ask yourself “Who are my supporters? What solutions are available to me?”, etc. Use a journal to visualize the problem and write down specifically what you can do to address it. Create an inventory of the tools available to you to make this happen.
- Aim to work the problem instead of allowing the problem to work you.
- Separate your tasks into small, attainable steps and work on one piece at a time.
- Finally, be patient. All things, good and bad, will pass. Trying to stop, speed up, or run from a crisis will only compound the problem.
Cultivating this mindset isn’t easy (especially in the middle of a life altering event), but with focus and a willing attitude, it can be done. Take Dave Ramsey’s advice and apply these rules as much as possible early in life. When a crisis comes, you’ll know how to move through it.
When the rain pours, you’ll know how to shelter your mind in the storm.
