We all reach crisis points in our lives. It can be a professional crisis like feeling stagnant at work, dealing with toxic co-workers or bosses, or even being fired from a job. Sometimes professional choices can be tricky and require a delicate balance of ethics verses self-interest.
It can be a personal crisis. In our lives we may find hurdles that we have to clear like addiction, grief over the loss of loved one, financial problems, a divorce or break-up, difficulties in our personal relationships, or an illness. Those are just a few examples of the problems we have to overcome in life. Over all of that is the sort of spiritual and mental crisis that we all experience at different points in our lives as we struggle with our identities and our place in the world.
In this article we explore that potential for problems and the best ways for how to overcome a crisis. This isn’t meant to be a downer or a list of the potential catastrophes that are waiting for us. It is meant to explore ways for us to meet those moments of crisis and overcome them. The Chinese have long observed that moments of crisis are also moments of opportunity. We need to view them that way as well and be prepared when they happen. In this article we will look at thirty tops to overcome a crisis. They are tips that will be useful throughout our lives when we experience moments of challenge.
1. Prevent It
One of the very best ways to deal with a crisis, whether it is personal or professional, is to prevent it if you can. After all if you can prevent the crisis from the beginning, or at least minimize it, then you don’t even have to worry about the rest of the tips! In both your personal and professional lives be alert and aware. Learn to anticipate problem areas and deal with them before a crisis occurs.
2. Save Your Money
Experts often recommend having an emergency fund that is the same amount of money that you would need to pay your living expenses for nine months. This can be crucial if you have a crisis occur. The fact is that money will enable you to deal far more effectively with a crisis and cushion you if you can’t work for a while during a personal crisis or if you are fired or laid off from your job.
3. Keep Calm And Carry On
No matter what the crisis that you encounter it isn’t going to be made better if you panic. That will only lead to impulsive and poor decision making. When a crisis happens you need to take a deep breath. Go for a walk, watch a movie, and work on a hobby or anything that will help clear your mind. Once you can be dispassionate and review the crisis with a clear head then you can begin to decide how to handle it.
4. Work To Stabilize And Contain The Crisis
The first question you need to ask yourself when you are confronted with a crisis is what you can do to end it. The sooner you can take control of the crisis and stop whatever damage it is doing in your life, the sooner it will be over.
5. Don’t Be Hasty
When you are dealing with a crisis it is not always helpful to jump into things feet first. Taking a step back and talking some time to figure things out can help you come up with a better strategy for dealing with things.
6. Identify The Problem
This goes along with prevention, keeping calm and stabilizing. Sometimes we react to a crisis by thinking it is one thing when it is another. This frequently happens when a person has a chronic medical problem is that is not diagnosed properly. The same need to diagnose the problem properly applies in any crisis situation.
7. Notify The Right People
When a crisis happens you need to stop and consider who you should seek out and who you have to tell. For example, in a crisis situation at work you may wish that you didn’t have to notify your boss but you do. The sooner you do the better. People tend to get more upset when they feel something was held back from them. Be upfront and go to people for support as soon as you realize something is wrong.
8. Seek Professional Help
Professionals educate themselves and train for a reason. That is reason is usually to help other people with their problems. If you have symptoms of an illness seek medical help. If you have suffered a mental or emotional trauma a trained psychologist or psychiatrist can help. If you have legal issue then seek a lawyer. If you have financial issues then seek help from an accountant or financial planner. You get the idea. You don’t have to face difficult problems alone.
9. Gather Your Team
Once you have figured out who you need to tell and who can help you deal with your crisis it is time to gather them together. Use them as a resource. In professional circumstances that can be your professional team at work. In a personal crisis it can be the family, friends and professionals who will help you in your time of need.
10. Research
Knowledge is the key to solving any crisis. The better informed you are about your problem, the more solutions you will be able to come up with.
11. Strategize And Craft A Plan
Now it is time to brainstorm. Use a whiteboard. Make lists. Draw a diagram. Whatever helps you come up with potential solutions to your particularly crisis. After you have brainstormed and come up with potential solutions to your problems then it is time to come up with a plan based on those solutions.
12. Take A Personal Inventory
Being self-aware is a key to dealing with a crisis. You need to be able to understand your own strengths and weaknesses. You need to be able to articulate your skills and articulate them. You are own best asset.
13. Be A Proactive Person
It can be hard for some people to adopt a proactive persona. Some of us are far more comfortable going with the flow than being assertive. That is not a trait that serves you well in a crisis. You have to work at being proactive in both your personal and professional lives so that you are in a better position to prevent a crisis and handle one that comes up. Tell yourself that you are worth the effort it takes to overcome your natural reserve!
14. Don’t Compare Yourself To Other People
Don’t fall into the trap of constantly comparing yourself to other people. There will always be people who are smarter, more skilled, better looking, and more experienced than you. The reverse is also true. Comparing yourself to other people will only result in either damaging your self-esteem or falsely inflating it. Take yourself for who you are and have confidence in what you already can do and what you can learn to do.
15. Love Learning
Nothing will equip you for dealing with a personal or professional crisis better than a broad knowledge base. A life-long love of learning will serve you well when you need to figure out how to solve problems as they come up.
16. Have A Specific Knowledge Base And Skill Set
Be specific about the knowledge and skills you work the hardest on acquiring. The old saying goes, “Jack of all trades is master of none.” In your professional life you want to master a skill set that will allow you to occupy an important niche while also having some flexibility as needed. This will help you weather professional crises such as layoffs or changes in your industry.
17. Be Passionate About What You Do
People often say that if you love what you do for work then you will never work a day in your life. Figure out what you love to do and how you earn money doing it. Doing that will help you be happier overall and insulate you against professional crises such as job dissatisfaction and being laid off. It will also make your life happier and filled with more satisfaction overall.
18. Learn How To Manage Stress
Any personal or professional crisis that you face will cause stress. It is well know that stress causes our bodies to release the hormone cortisol; which is harmful to our health. Stress also takes a mental toll on us. Arm yourself with an array of stress busting techniques that will help you deal with stress when a crisis happens. It will make you better able to deal with a crisis both physically and mentally.
19. Get Regular Exercise
Getting regular exercise will make you feel better physically and mentally sharper. Whether you are power walking, hitting the gym, or playing a sport any regular exercise will help you deal with stress and be better at handling a crisis. It will also improve your overall health, which helps when you have a medical crisis.
20. Eat Healthy
Like getting regular exercise, eating healthy food on a regular basis helps make you physically and mentally sharper and gives you energy. This helps you deal with stress and makes you better equipped to handle a crisis. Both exercise and healthy food will also help you keep up your energy and focus during a crisis so don’t neglect exercise and eating when you are in a crisis!
21. Practice Gratitude
It can be easy to let a crisis blind us to the good things we still have in our lives. It is particularly crucial to remember to express our gratitude to the people in our lives. You will be able to mentally withstand a crisis better if you don’t let it overshadow the good things in your life.
22. Have A Strong Sense Of Your Own Values
A crisis is often a test of our ethics and values. It is a good idea to have a strong sense of what your values are before they are tested. Sometimes a personal or professional crisis can occur or be worse simply because we don’t have an immediate sense of where to draw an ethical line. This can be particularly important in a professional crisis where your code of conduct/professional ethics play a role.
23. Practice Spirituality
Studies have shown the health and mental benefits we derive from practicing some sort of spirituality. Whether you are regular member of a church, temple or mosque or you regularly meditate and explore eastern spirituality or you practice the craft or enjoy exploring various philosophical beliefs; it helps to center you. It enables you have a stronger sense of self. It can be a strong base of support for you in crisis. It can also be a place where you meet other people who can offer you support in a crisis.
24. Have Hobbies
Work is important but nobody ever regretted not spending more time at work on their death bed. Be a well-rounded person who has interests outside of work. That will serve to make you mentally better able to deal with a professional crisis because work won’t feel like the only thing in your life. It will also give you something to focus on and enjoy in times of personal crisis.
25. Take Classes
This goes hand and hand with keeping up your knowledge base and with having a hobby. Knowledge makes you more resourceful and taking classes can be a fun outside interest as well. Both will make you better in a crisis. Also some classes, such as ones in financial planning, can help you deal directly with a crisis you may be going through.
26. Watch Your Credit
Shakespeare said, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.” Be careful when you borrow money on a credit card or for a car, home or obtaining a college degree. Nothing is more likely to cause you a financial crisis than having debt you can’t repay. It will really compound a professional crisis like being laid off or fired. It will also lead you to feel obligated to stay in an unsatisfying job that is paying your bills rather than take a risk and strike out and try something different.
27. Don’t Buy Into Hype
Whether it is the latest stock tip from foxytrades, the latest diet fad, the latest health concern, or the latest identity theft scam there is a lot of fear mongering out there. When we are faced with a crisis it can be easy to fall into the trap of looking for an easy fix. Sometimes the easy fix can even be what precipitates a crisis. The latest drug or supplement might cause health issues instead of helping them. The latest financial advice might hurt you financially. Advertisers love using scare tactics to sell products while the news outlets use fear to sell the news. Be a critical thinker, even in the midst of a crisis, and you will not be steered wrong.
28. Work On Your Communication Skills
Strong communications skills will serve you well in ordinary life. During a crisis they can be critical. Work actively on improving your skill at speaking and at writing. Being able to articulate your thoughts is helpful in both personal and professional life.
29. Network
Building a network of relatives, friends, acquaintances and business contacts can save you in a crisis. You may need a job and get a lead from your hairdresser. You may break a leg and need friends who will take you food shopping. You may suffer a business setback and find help from someone you regularly do business with. Continually work on building a network and you will have support when you need it.
Life can easily seem like one crisis after another. It is a constant challenge that you need to prepare yourself to meet. You can’t prevent every crisis that will happen in your life but you can prepare yourself to handle them. You can also handle them better if follow the tips in this article when they happen. Follow these 29 tips to overcome any crisis.
Do you have any tips to add? Please share below.
