Last week I shared with you some signs that you may be cruising in survival mode and encouraged you to review your daily behaviours against these and to make a note of your observations and thoughts.
Why? Well, because getting stuck in survival mode is not good for your physical, mental, emotional or spiritual health. And neither is it good for your financial health! On top of that, when you are not being the best version of you, you are actually disrespecting yourself.
These past 4 – 5 years have been rough. Things like the impact of Covid and lock downs, changes to work situations and circumstances, more demands from team members, management and clients, rising cost of living, housing shortages, geopolitical conflicts, upcoming elections, crazy weather events……. All of these things have contributed to a sense of being constantly in survival mode. Enough is enough – especially the feeling that things are out of our control.
Today – in part 2 of 3 about shifting from survival mode to sustainable success – I’ve listed some practical tips which will enable you to start building a daily framework of positive behaviours in your life, kick starting your journey out of survival and into a new way of being alive.
Before I start, lets get comfortable with this one important fact:
You can change course and regain control over your life.
Here are 10 Practical Tips for you:
- Acknowledge that you are in survival mode, that this is not where you want to be and that it is not sustainable for you in any way, shape or form
- Stop complaining about your circumstances. Why? Because your complaining encourages others to complain, keeping everyone in a negative headspace. Instead, be deliberate about taking action and staying positive.
- Practice self-care. Start by making time to recharge your batteries. Keep your own emotional tank full by doing something [no matter how small] every single day that makes you happy. It is easier to see your way clear of survival mode when you have a positive outlook.
- Let your pent-up emotions out. This could mean punching a pillow while you scream silently or having a good cry or doing a really tough gym session including time on the punching bag or [this is my favourite] dancing around your lounge room singing loudly, and out of tune, to your favourite rock songs. Your goal here is to shift your energy so that you begin to relax.
- Communicate kindly with yourself. Manage your self-talk, celebrating small wins and talking yourself up rather than putting yourself down. Be kind to yourself as you let go of old habits and build new ones that serve you better.
- Return to the fundamentals. Simplify things through achieving the essential things that need to be done to keep things moving. Learn to say no and mean NO.
- Stay curious – ask questions and observe your own behaviour and the behaviours of others. What are the lessons here? Apply the KISS principle to your behaviours – Keep doing, Improve on, Stop doing, Start doing – and become more discerning about those you spend time with.
- Shift your fear – recognise that in order to be the driver of your life you will need to respond to situations rather than react. While you may not be able to control the situation, you CAN control your feelings and your response to the situation. Make the decision to release your fear and do the things you want to do.
- Choose what your day will look like. First choice is your Attitude. No one else determines this but you. Second choice is scheduling your day so that you do get things done, you do have some fun, you have time with loved ones, and you have time for you to recharge. Start with a simple plan so that you don’t get overwhelmed.
- Breathe. Breathe deep and fill your lungs. Change occurs when you become who you authentically are, not when you try to be what you’re not. Breathe again.
Work through these tips over the next week, letting me know if you have any questions or stories you want to share. You are clearing the decks and establishing a new framework upon which you will build new habits and your new life.