Every once in a while something comes along and hits us out of the blue. It could be the sudden death of a friend or loved one, losing a job, the threat of redundancy, or the breakup of a relationship.
These events are difficult to navigate, even when they are visible in the distance and you’ve had time to adjust to their inevitable arrival. When there is no forewarning, trying to overcome the shock AND having to move forward brings an altogether different set of challenges. These are the moments when you genuinely have no Plan B to fall back on.
In each of the above scenarios there is an element of grief and/or loss, and it’s generally accepted that people need time to process and come to terms with the new reality. Sometimes though we can’t afford (often literally) to simply down tools while we wrap our heads around the changes.
Focusing on your next steps can help ease some of the emotional pain. Giving the brain a constructive distraction and some practical things to do isn’t necessarily a cure-all, but can certainly help alleviate things in the immediate aftermath of bad news.
If you feel overwhelmed by everything that you are having to process, try to find someone to talk to, or try writing down thoughts and feelings. Getting things out of your head and on paper or discussed with others can provide much-needed perspective. As always the go-to advice of remembering to breathe holds as useful as ever.
Whatever the circumstances, life carries on and the decision is how to absorb those changes into your life, rather than allowing them to dictate the path going forward and sending you wildy off course.
There is more to come on this topic but alas a minor curve ball hit today and while I’m not in a spin, I find myself, like Marty McFly, “outta time”. Stay tuned for more insights on navigating life’s unexpected challenges.
to be continued…
Donovan.