Finding peace and focus amidst challenges
NAVIGATING life’s challenges can often feel overwhelming. Finding peace and focus in difficult times can be a struggle. Challenges and struggles are inevitable.
What differs in most cases is just the degree of the challenges that one gets to deal with at a given period in time.
If we all come to realise that we are more alike than we are unalike in this life, the realisation will help us to look at the challenges we encounter differently.
Whatever you may go through in life, you are not the first and you will not be the last. No matter how big the challenge may seem to be, if you speak out to the right people, you will get help in most cases.
My heart was so broken this past week when I realised that one of my friend’s uncles committed suicide. Before his death, he had mentioned one or two struggles that he was going through but, no one had realised that it was bad to the extent of committing suicide.
When he mentioned the challenge he was facing, he had seemed to be in control.
Sadly, two days down the line, he decided to end his life. May his soul rest in peace.
Prior to the uncle incident, I had heard about someone who committed suicide again after receiving his salary that he deemed insignificant compared to the needs he had.
A good number of organisations are struggling. Business is bad and making profits has become almost a nightmare.
Many organisations just exist for survival, not necessarily growth.
It is therefore not easy for such organisations to offer high salaries and benefits because the focus is survival more than anything else.
As a result, employees within such organisations find it hard to meet their personal goals yet, at the same time, finding other jobs is not easy.
Employees continue to go to work under a great deal of stress. In as much as they probably understand the position of the company, life’s needs do not respect such.
Things that require financial resources continue to pile and to build up.
The environment in which both employees, managers and business owners find themselves in most of the time, require collective approach in solving the challenges that arise.
I encourage organisations to invest in employee health and wellness programmes. Mental issues are real.
After hearing about uncle’s death I became deliberate in looking at ways that can help us to cope amidst challenges.
I engaged people at different levels, especially those who seemed to be doing well to find out how they do it. Allow me to share some of the tips that I managed to capture.
Positive thinking
Regardless of the challenges one may face, I would like to believe that we all still remain with some moments of joy that we get to refer to or that we come across every now and then.
What helps sometimes is writing down the things that you are grateful for each day.
Get to focus more on those things instead of focusing on what makes you sad.
Focus on people who accept you instead of focusing on those who reject you.
Time management
Prioritise your tasks by putting them into groups.
Usually such groups are probably four only and these are as follows: -
◆ Urgent and important
◆ Important but not urgent
◆ Urgent but not important
◆ Not urgent not important but, necessary. In most cases, if you give attention to the first two groups of tasks, you are most likely to manage pressure better.
If you are not deliberate about prioritising your tasks, you may be surprised to realise that you spent a great deal of time over things that are probably not important. Sadly, when you miss on the important things, they can affect you significantly.
It is also important to allocate specific time blocks for different activities. Limit and minimise distractions like social media and unnecessary notifications.
Build resilience and develop thick skin
It is not about becoming insensitive; it is about having the ability to bounce back from challenges. Be mindful, stay grounded and less reactive to negative emotions.
Focus on your strengths instead of your weaknesses.
Many are times, people tend to focus more on eradicating weaknesses rather than building and developing their strengths.
Acknowledge your positive qualities and accomplishments. Celebrate your successes no matter how small.
Build self-problem solving skills and practice finding solutions.
Rutendo Gwatidzo is the managing consultant at The HUB HR Consultancy – as a culture and change management specialist. She is a multi-award winning leader, consultant, speaker and coach. She is also an Author of Born to Fight and Breaking the Silence books. Feedback: 0714575805/ winningstrategy.2020@gmail.com/Rutendo Gwatidzo_Official fb public page.