How to go through these challenging times?

This is an invitation for you to settle down and remove the confusion

Sounds good?

So please keep reading.

“It is during times like these when we are faced with the unexpected and the unknown , that we test our capacity to adapt, to embrace change and to make the most out of it”

Right now you might be feeling overwhelmed, anxious about the future of your business, your job, worried about your family health, conflicted about how to manage your teams, homeschooling…

You are doing your best to cope with the unknown future, the unexpected developments.

You are hesitant about what is the best thing to do, how you will manage further restrictions? Too many things to think about and to manage...

In the middle of all this confusion, let’s agree on one thing:

you will be of no great use if you do not have access to your intelligence.

What I mean by intelligence is your capacity to think, behave and act from a place of calmness and resourcefulness.

Acting and not reacting.

Being able to manage your state of being and focus your energy to perform and be efficient.

It’s been scientifically proven that when you feel overwhelmed, stressed or anxious, your body goes into Fight or Flight mode.

It directs your energy into your extremities so that you can run or fight.

Do you know that these resources are taken away from your analytical mind, your digestive system and your immune system?

Let me say it bluntly, when you are in a stressed state and you dwell on it, your thinking is clouded, you jeopardize the benefits of any healthy eating and you suppress your immune system.

So, start by doing the next right thing. Observe how you are feeling and what you are thinking, be conscious about how this is impacting your physical and mental wellbeing.

And… if you are serious about preserving your health, do something about it.

I am not saying that managing your emotions is easy and that you can choose right now the attitude that serves you best at any point of time.

I am saying that you always have the choice.

Make it simple:

1. Focus on what you can manage:

There is no use worrying or thinking about things outside of your immediate control. You would just waste the energy that you can use to stay focused, to make the right decisions and to access different options. So, adopt an empowering attitude. Ask yourself: does this serve me? Is this thought serving me? No? Choose another one! It’s just a thought! Can I do anything about this situation? Yes? Do it. No? Let’s move to something else.

Think about your energy as a limited reservoir of resources you are given each day to: think, act, heal, and function, so spend it wisely.

Let me convey to you one interesting fact mentioned in the book “The telomere effect” cowritten by Nobel Prize winner E. Blackburn: “The lifetime of an emotion, even a very unpleasant one, is no longer than 90 secs- unless you try to chase it away or engage with it. Then it lasts longer”.

So, if a thought doesn’t serve you, remind yourself it’s just a thought, it’s not true, if it’s not worth following, let it just fade.

You can choose where to place your attention… as long as you operate from a resourceful state.

2. Remember your end Goals:

We spend hours working to achieve this financial goal, this specific KPI,

We get our kids to the best schools we can afford, we enlist them to practice theatre, piano , tennis…

We pay attention to the way we speak, the way we communicate to do well, to succeed, to be promoted, to get our financial freedom.

Companies can get entangled into their monthly results, reports, shareholders engagement and… somehow, we forget that all of these are mean goals and not end goals. These are just ways and steps to achieve our ultimate goals, our end goals, our purpose or vision as individuals or organizations.

Your end goal might be to raise happy and confident children, or to be an inspiring leader or to simply be happy, in good health, and free to do what you want when you want it and how you want it.

So, during these times of confusion step back to reflect on what is really important for you to achieve.

Companies that remember their vision/mission and enforce it will thrive better,

Individuals who ignite that drive within them will cope better, focusing on what really matters for them.

3. Be kind with yourself:

None of these can be achieved if you don’t take care of yourself.

Did you notice these safety instructions when you board a plane?: “In the event of decompression and if you are travelling with a child or someone who requires assistance secure your oxygen mask first and then assist the other person”.

So, nurture your wellbeing.

Make the time to connect with yourself, whether going for a walk, listening to music, watching your favorite movie…

Take some time to be quiet.

If you are into meditation, great! Continue your practice,

if you are not into meditation, that’s great too! Just take 10 minutes to calm down, listen to music, look up at the sky or just do some breathing exercises, decluttering your mind, refocusing your energy.

And remember that… at any point of time you are doing the best that you can with the resources that you have. Be kind to yourself, treat yourself as you treat someone that you love deeply.

So, what to do now? It’s time to take this seriously or just play with it and practice.

It’s your choice… always

Jihen Gatti

Your Expansion Catalyst

There are plenty of resources out there to help you practice these attitudes. I am listing here below some that I tested and used in case this is serving you!I will be updating the below regularly

Breathing:

Win Hoff, also known as the iceman.

Try his breathing techniques, It’s what you require to build perseverance and mindfulness at the same time. Check his apps or his free tutorials. Attached a link to his 11mn practice.

ROBERT SIMIC AWAKENED HEART

Do you know that your heart has its own brain. Do you know the benefit of building coherence between your brain and your heart? For your intuition, your state and your immunity. Learn more and benefit from a free practice in this exceptional offer from Robert Simic Coaching Institute. Such a valuable gift click in Here.

Meditation:

For those of you that are not into meditation, I hear you! The idea of staying still, not thinking about anything or focusing on my breath was a no-no for me!

With that in mind, I chose for you the practices below that are super powerful and easy to adopt:

1. The 6-phase meditation by mindvalley:

A quest of 6 days to progressively practice powerful techniques to build your resilience, feel awesome and healed. Here is the link for the free tutorial and quest.

2. The Bonus mediation by The Wellness Theory

A powerful 10mn meditation/breathing track developed with love and compassion to ground and calm you and as a bonus also raise the collective consciousness. Access it here

Yoga:

Yoga with Adriene

My favorite, loads of free videos on her youtube channel for all situations and all levels! Exercice while having fun and relaxing at the same time!

Coaching:

Should I say it ? I am a strong believer of the benefits of coaching, as a coach seeing the benefits on my clients but also as a client , I went through the coaching process and it allowed me to speed up my growth journey, to evolve in my life and to reach new levels of wellbeing.

There are plenty of good coaches out there, and the majority offers free consultation calls so that you can find the coach that is a good match for you.

Mine is just one click away if you want to experiment. So if you want to speed up the process, go for it. Remember It’s always your choice:)

Reading:

1. The Telomere Effect

by Nobel Prize Winner E.Blackburn and health psychologist E.Epel:

An eyeopener on aging and illness, full of scientific facts presented in an easy way and practical tips and exercises so that you start protecting your health and youth, today.

2. The Happiness Advantage

by Shawn Achor:

A must read on the principles of positive psychology (It’s not about forcing ourselves to be positive in all circumstances, we are still humans right! This is different) with also practical tips on how to perform in your life and work.