Confidence, Resilience and Brexit
I’m as shocked as most people in the UK at our decision to leave the EU and the ongoing political fall out. It has taken us all in a direction where the final destination is unknown.
At times like this when we maybe fearful of the future, there is a tendency to blame and shame other people, the awful signs of which we’ve seen this week.
Being taken out of your comfort zone, is risky and uncomfortable and a successful outcome can seem impossible. When the initial shock wears off and you start to readjust and realise that whatever the outcome is, you are still okay, then you will have shown your resilience.
For those people feeling anxious about the effect of this huge decision and worried about the confidence and resilience of this country I have 5 tips to share with you:
- See the positive and the negative. Instead of focusing on just the negative possibilities, look proactively for the positive in the situation. According to Dr Barbara Fredrickson you need a 3 to 1 ratio of positive to negative experiences to build your resilience
- Take the learning. In an uncomfortable or negative situation a resilient person is more likely to ask “what’s the solution” or “what can I learn from this”. Life is a long journey of learning, we aren’t supposed to know it all at any stage
- Look after yourself. Thus means physically and emotionally, so ensure you eat and sleep well, exercise, get outdoors and spend time with people you care about
- Practice gratitude for the positives in your life and appreciate the kindness of others. Also, there is an additional benefit to doing an act of kindness for another person, as it drives up your serotonin levels (the neurotransmitter responsible for happiness)
- Have a laugh. Finding the humour in a difficult situation is a great way to feel more in control. Playful humour also reduces the fear around the unknown
Whatever you voted, we now need to collaborate together to show our confidence and resilience and adjust to the new world – whatever that is!
Jo
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