We all encounter challenges from time to time. You know the kind of challenging situations I mean, like the week before your university exams when you start to freak out! Or the day before a job interview, when your stress levels hit an all time high!
Fear not, because there is always a right way to approach every challenging situation.
I have always believed that whenever there is a problem, there is always a solution. Here are ten top tips that you can use when faced with challenging situations.
#1 Manage yourself not the situation
Don’t try to control things that you have no power over. You can’t control what the weather is like, but you can pack an umbrella just in case it rains.
There is no doubt that preparation is important in challenging situations, but don’t let it take over. Half the battle is showing up! Stay calm and relaxed and chill out.
#2 The power of Presence
The ‘Power of Presence’ is your natural state of being. It is when you are fully aware and tuned into the present moment. Presence can be cultivated through mindfulness and meditation.
Presence is joyful, abundant, peaceful and calm. It is timeless, eternal and where your true wisdom lies.
Worrying and complaining about the situation just creates more agitation, anxiety and stress. So by resting in this natural state of being, you can be at your best.
#3 Cultivate a mindset of abundance
Shift the way you think from not being good enough, to having certainty that you are already perfect just the way you are.
This is a mindset of abundance, where you can deal with challenges more effectively.
Shut your eyes and visualise yourself dealing with the situation perfectly. Imagine how confident and relaxed you feel. Picture yourself enjoying challenges and feeling abundant.
#4 Understand that Fear is just an illusion
I think of fear as “False emotion appearing real”. This means that fear is just an illusion, a trick of the mind.
#5 Be kind to yourself
Your own self-talk is very important in challenging situations. This is where you have to tune into your own thought processes.
What kind of thoughts is your mind producing? Are your thoughts positive or negative? Do you need to relax and chill out? Are you getting ahead of yourself? How do you feel?
If your thoughts are self-critical then you need to relax and chill out. Be kind to yourself and put the whole problem into perspective.
#6 Put it into perspective
The good thing about challenges is they force you to grow. Self development is all about learning, improving and evolving on all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
But it is important to realise that it’s not the end of the world when you fail. In fact, failure is a good thing because it helps you to learn from your mistakes.
Failure is just feedback!
#7 Challenges make you stronger
Challenges make you stronger as a person, so it helps to get used to them. I like Winston Churchills definition of success.
When you can move from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm, then you are a success.
This is because challenges accelerate your personal growth.
#8 Don’t complain about the situation
When you complain about the situation, you make it much worse. This is because complaining strengthens the mindset related to fear and creates resistance.
Complaining drains your energy and clouds your thinking. So stop complaining!
#9 Don’t worry about it
Worrying about things is just a waste of energy. It is also an extremely bad habit! Think about it, if you spend your life worrying, you’ll waste years of your life.
It doesn’t help you manage the situation any better and increases your anxiety levels.
#10 Sharpen your mind
People have been enjoying the benefits of meditation for thousands of years. Modern science is now backing it up with research that proves it’s effectiveness.
Meditation is easy to learn but much harder to practice. But I think it is an amazingly rewarding discipline to practise at any time.
You can focus on an object or even a candle. Focus your attention on that object and when your mind wanders, guide it back to the object.
Your mind will want to wander, but every time it does, bring it back. What you are doing is training your mind to focus.
This strengthens your focus and concentration. This will help you direct your attention to where it needs to be.
