In this week’s guest column, wellbeing expert and found of PUSH Mind & Body Cate Murden offers advice to managers and leaders on how to help themselves and their team members stay mentally strong and focused at work to get ahead, no matter what external challenges they are faced with.
Life has developed an annoying habit of putting more and more obstacles in our way during these past few years. From coping with Covid, to more recent cost of living concerns, finding a way to stay strong mentally isn’t easy.
But fear not – there’s a toolkit for that – full of behaviours that can be applied to many areas of our lives, regardless of the challenge being faced. So, here are five ways you can consistently manage your mind and be the best version of you.
1. Remember, everything will be okay in the end
That statement might seem hard to believe after a period of bad news. Our lives, and the world around us, are crammed with very real issues. But even something as serious as the pandemic had its good points. Do you recall the glorious Spring weather? The serenity of life without transport sounds or noisy neighbours’ partying?
If that’s a lesson in positivity, how then can we banish negativity to make sure it all really will be okay at last? It starts with an assault on your anxieties to reach that positive mental state we all crave. And just because five points in this article aren’t enough, here are an extra five tips aimed at helping you fight fear:
- Shrink anxiety by exposing yourself to it – over and over again, till it becomes second nature.
- Think, “What’s the worst that can happen?” It’s probably nothing too terrible.
- Don’t be perfectionist – good enough is…good enough!
- Tune out anxiety and visualise your happy place where positive things happen.
- Give yourself a pat on the back before moving on to the next challenge.
2. All situations can be viewed as neutral
The universe is not a sentient being, it is utterly indifferent to you. You have the power to shape your destiny in whatever direction you want it to go. This crucial piece of knowledge can make a huge difference to how you live your life, and how you may make fundamental changes to it. Unexpected events will always come our way. But even when they do, you have the power to steer the unexpected in a positive direction.
To adopt this vital mindset, write down your negative beliefs and the reasons they’re true. Then, consider your triggers and face them head-on. This will help with the next step: replacing old beliefs with new ones by analysing what you think is a bad situation. And don’t compare yourself to anyone else; their life is unique, you’ve plenty to be happy about.
3. Tune into your brain – and your body
Humans have a tremendous capacity for resilience. When we’re pushing through tough times, it’s important we make the connection between our brains and our bodies. What happens upstairs (in the brain) is reflected in how we’re feeling downstairs (in our bodies), because it is our body which will tell us how we’re really coping with whatever is causing us stress.
That means thinking about how you feel. Have you got new physical symptoms? What could be causing them? Keep a journal of issues, so you can reflect on how what you’re feeling correlates with what’s going on in your life.
Next, sit quietly or even meditate; tuning in can give you an insight into what’s wrong and how to fix it. Discover what you can do to start your own repair process. Of course, if the problem persists don’t be shy to seek medical help.
4. Be the driver – not the passenger
If you drive, can you remember the first time you ever got behind the wheel? Sweaty palms, face almost touching the windscreen. But you also had the feeling of freedom, of being in control and of finally joining a world of grown-ups.
It’s ironic how people can make life-or-death decisions on a daily basis while driving, but in many other respects are full-time passengers in their own lives. They never get into the driving seat of their career, relationships or ambitions because fear holds them back.
If you feel that you’re occupying the back seat while others are taking the wheel, it’s time to make a change. Once you’re ready, start with a ‘self-audit’. Divide your life into assets and liabilities; ask whether you should continue down the same path or make a change; and set some new goals. Then it’s up to you to get in the driving seat and head towards them.
5. Strap in for constant change
If there was one thing the pandemic taught us, it was to never be complacent. Change can be dramatic or be gradual, but it’s always constant. While this can feel scary and uncertain, it also gives us hope. We face our challenges, overcome difficulties and move on to the next set of circumstances that we must face.
Change doesn’t have to be huge or scary. Even when we make small changes to our life and work, we make significant progress.
BECOMING RESILIENT
We’ve all had to recently become more resilient to change – but each of us is capable of being more robust still. Here are five ways to build and maintain resilience:
- First, recognise your struggle is valid and that you need to deal with it.
- Tackle the problem by tapping into a time when you were resilient – and succeeded.
- Consider how you can turn negative thoughts and actions into a positive: dispel your demons.
- Be kind to yourself. That’s a cliché, but an important truth; self-kindness makes you stronger.
- When the going gets really tough, ask friends and family for support. There’s no shame in it.
Recent events have dragged us in all sorts of directions, but they’ve also shown us it isn’t what happens to you that counts, it’s how you interpret or deal with it. The fact that we made it this far is reason enough to celebrate, and make the most of life’s challenges, joys and opportunities.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cate Murden, founded her corporate wellness and mental health company PUSH Mind & Body in 2014. She has been described as a power house of wellness, helping over 100,000 people change their lives for the better. Murden is on a mission to change lives; helping everyone that she works with think, feel and do better.
RELATED ARTICLES
Most employees say their companies need to do more to support their mental, physical and financial wellbeing, confirmed another new study. Click here to read more.
How employers can help to create happier and healthier environments for their staff. Click here to continue reading.
Sign up for our newsletter
