Think about a time when you were dreading something or you were miserable because something was going wrong in your life! You may have been really stressed, not sleeping, depressed and taking something to help you to deal with it. Was it a relationship going sour, an illness, a money worry, a work re-structure or failure to get that promotion? How did it turn out?
Afterwards did you think I wish I had done this sooner! Are you surprised that you coped so well. Did it teach you anything about yourself? And has your life turned out so much better because of the changes you made? Or are you still in a victim mode
because somebody did that thing to you?
Sometimes circumstances force changes which become problems. Quite often the fear of the problem grows out of proportion to reality, we let our imagination run riot and worry and over-analyze making problems balloon becoming much bigger than the actual issue. Here are some tips to help you to grasp problems in a positive way and turn them around effectively:-
- Take yourself somewhere quiet with an A4 notepad
- Write the problem down in list form (breaking the problem into chunks)
- If you start to feel stressed when you start to write it down, take some deep breaths count slowly in your head one, two, three, four and then slowly breathe out to the count of four, repeat this three or four times.
- Become the agony aunt or uncle (pretend someone else wants the advice)
- Be objective, if this were happening to someone else what logical, practical steps would you recommend to them?
- Think about who or what company or person could advise them
- Consider the worst scenario for each part of problem and write it down
- Consider the best outcome for each part of the problem and write it down
- When do they need to do these things by?
- What benefits will it give them if they do so, write these in detail?
- Finally write a full detailed list of advice and actions that you recommend
You now know what you are going to do.
Helen Williams is a life, image and management development coach who has helped dozens of local men and women solve problems that everyday life throws at us.
The 42-year-old mother of two works with companies as well as individuals and runs image and life-coaching clubs. She gave up a career in finance two years ago to become a life coach and can help with everything from phobias and weight issues to relationship and work worries. Send your questions to helipadlifestyles@talktalk.net or ring 07888 711714.The full article contains 457 words and appears in Evening Courier newspaper.
