Welcome to July, first off. We are past the six-month mark of 2021 and just entering the third quarter.
For some of you this is no cause for any kind of excitement or reflection. You’ve been doing great, hitting all your goals, personal and professional life is in order. For others, this realization that we are heading into the second half of the year might be bringing another list of emotions with it. Many of them not so positive.
Maybe you have recently ended a relationship, started a new job, lost a loved one, or are on the verge of some other difficult life challenges.
Each new season brings about opportunities and challenges for us that we may have expected and sometimes those we did not.
Today I want to talk about not only the opportunity for those challenges but some ways to potentially reframe your thoughts around them if you are struggling.
ALL AT ONCE
Do you ever feel like things tend to happen either all at once or not at all? I know I do. It seems like big moments come in waves. In the past, I would be getting ready to move, switch jobs, and often a relationship would be ending. All at the same time. Then nothing major would happen for a long time it seemed.
If you feel like this know you are not alone. It can be very overwhelming, but you will get through it. The chaos is temporary.
HELPFUL TOOLS
Several things can be helpful as you try to navigate stressful situations and unknown future outcomes.
1. Realize it is temporary - often situations that cause us stress are temporary in nature. If this is the case, reminding yourself that the situation you are in is only temporary can often help. Yes, you will still need to be uncomfortable for now. No, it is not going to last forever. You have likely lived through other uncomfortable situations before. Think back to how you might have successfully navigated those situations. What worked well? What didn’t?
2. Look for opportunities for growth – when we receive feedback it is an opportunity for us to grow. Relationships ending, moving, starting a new job…these can all be opportunities for feedback and to learn more about ourselves. Maybe the old version of you doesn’t work as well where you want to be going. This is an opportunity to change some of those things.
3. Reframe your inner voice – do you have a tendency to talk to yourself in a way that isn’t helpful or kind? Is your inner voice negative? Listen to the inner dialogue you have going on. Is there room to reframe some of the things you are telling yourself? Try speaking to yourself in a kinder, more supportive manner. You might be surprised at how it impacts the way you carry yourself.
4. Seek help when needed – hopefully it goes without saying that if you need to speak to someone, whether professionally, or just a friend, please do so. We are not meant to carry everything ourselves. Most of us have stressful jobs, families that depend on us, friends we care about, and are trying to do our best to be decent humans. That requires a lot of effort and energy most days. It is completely normal to seek out the professional help of a counselor, therapist, coach, or other resource that best fits your individual situation.
OPPORTUNITIES
Those are just a few ideas off the top of my head that can start you on the road to having a different outcome. In six months, you could be in a very different place, it’s all up to you.
If you have been struggling through 2021, its ok. You have plenty of time left. You don’t even have to figure it all out by the end of the year.
That’s the best part of the journey of self-improvement. It’s never really over. ;)
If I can help, please get in touch. Click here to schedule your complimentary zoom call today.