How to Keep Your Head and Be Calm in Crisis
May 15, 2020
Everyone has their own natural response to stress, when its tough to be calm. Some of us have anxiety which causes us to be easily overwhelmed, while others seem to become more focused. While scientists have found that your response to stress is partly innate, much of it is learned. Meaning that anyone can learn to how be calm in a crisis instead of anxious.
Regardless of how well you currently handle stress, you can become less anxious and more effective with practice and awareness.
Use these key ideas to become the calmest, coolest, and most collected person you know:
Identify the problem. What exactly is wrong? It might be obvious, but sometimes its not. Before you get yourself all worked up, identify the challenge. You might find there really isnt an issue. Sometimes, were good at being dramatic when no drama is necessary.
Determine if theres anything you can do. Now that you know the challenge youre facing, seek a solution. Ask yourself if theres anything you can do. Understand that your thoughts dont have the power to change anything other than your own behavior.
What do you want? What is the new circumstance you want to experience? Its one thing to know you have an issue, its another to know the outcome you desire. You cant create a solution if youre not clear on what youre trying to accomplish.
Avoid worry. Rather than focusing on the doom and gloom that may or may not happen, give your attention to solutions. What can you do to create the outcome you desire? While your mind is generating solutions, it cant be worried. You can save yourself a lot of negative emotion by keeping your attention on finding a way out.
Stay present. Avoid projecting into the future and imagining all the horrible outcomes that may never come to pass. This is how we create worry and anxiety. If you find your mind wandering to negative places, bring yourself back to the present. Look, hear, smell, and feel your immediate surroundings. Describe them to yourself.
What else works to Get Calm in Crisis?
Breathe. Relaxed, easy breathing leads to a relaxed, easy attitude. The solution to many negative emotions lies in the breath.
Relax your body. Stress releases chemicals that cause your muscles to tense. You can counteract this phenomenon by relaxing. Relax your shoulders and the other muscles of your body. Try to be loose like a noodle. Learn what a relaxed body and mind feel like. It will be easier to recognize when youre experiencing stress.
Stay busy. An idle mind is much more challenging to control than one that is focused on a task. Keep working on your solution. If theres nothing more you can do, avoid just sitting around and worrying. Find an activity to keep your mind occupied.
Be grateful. Studies have shown that feeling gratitude lowers cortisol levels by over 20%. Before you work yourself into a frenzy, list the things that make you feel grateful. Notice how much better you feel.
Relabel your emotions. Youre not worried and stressed, youre cautious and stimulated. It sounds like a trivial difference, but it makes a big difference in being calm in crisis.
Even if youre the most anxious person you know, you can learn to be calm in crisis and keep your head. Your reaction to stressful situations is mostly learned. You can learn to think and behave in a new way.
Its been said that life is just one crisis after another. It might not be quite that bad, but life is full of challenges. Imagine being able to deal with those challenges more comfortably and effectively.
I’m an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and career coach for Twanna Carter Professional & Personal Coaching, LLC. I failed my first career transition from the military so badly, it took me the next 10+ years to build my confidence and recover. I know what it feels like to struggle with imposter syndrome and uncertainty about my worth in the workplace. It’s why I am dedicated to empowering Black women. Helping them navigate change and uncertainty by providing them with the tools and strategies they need to be successful. Schedule a free 30-Minute Career Solution Call today.
Curated Reads: Essential Books to Add to Your Personal Library
- Melaninated Magic: 180 Affirmations to Nurture Your Soul and Unleash Your Black Girl Joy by Twanna Carter, PhD
- I’m Not Yelling: A Black Woman’s Guide to Navigating the Workplace (Successful Black Business Women), Elizabeth Leiba
- Stop Overthinking: 23 Techniques to Relieve Stress, Stop Negative Spirals, Declutter Your Mind, and Focus on the Present (The Path to Calm) by Nick Trenton
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- High-Functioning Anxiety: A 5-Step Guide to Calming the Inner Panic and Thriving by Dr. Lalitaa Suglani
- “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain.
- Unleash your career potential with our free library of resources. Access our free Career Resource Library today and start your journey to a more fulfilling career.
- Taming Your Gremlin: A Surprisingly Simple Method for Getting Out of Your Own Way by Rick Carson
- The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance—What Women Should Know by Katty Kay & Claire Shipman
- Stop & Shift: The Mindset Reset that Changes Everything by Karen Allen
- Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms by Shellye Archambeau
Grab a copy of my Imposter Syndrome Tool Kit today!
+ show Comments
- Hide Comments
add a comment