We’ve all gone through times when we’ve had disruptions to our normal routines. Some are happy occasions, such as the birth of a child. Some are more challenging like the death of a loved one, illness or injury, or having to move.
Disruption to your usual routine can be disorientating and tiring, even positive disruption. When we had an extension built at the end of 2019, I lost the use of my kitchen for six weeks. The place was filthy, even rooms where the builders never set foot were covered in dust. I was lucky in that I could use another kitchen nearby and had somewhere to retreat to. It was all very doable. But the disruption meant I had to think and plan completely differently. Things took longer, they took more thinking about. Even though I knew there was light at the end of the tunnel, I felt completely exhausted by the end of that time. (And then six weeks later came Covid – another massive disruption.)
Disruptions will happen in life; we have to accept that. How can we best deal with them without letting them derail us?
- Get the mindset right. Accept disruption as part of life. Look at it simply as a bump in the road, a part of any journey, and something that you just need to deal with. If you allow these bumps to derail and/or distract you every time, you’ll never get where you want to be. But if you know, from the outset, that there are going to be bumps, and you know that it’s simply part of the journey and that you have to overcome them, you’ll get there eventually.
- Disruptions can act as constraints. Constraints are an inevitable part of business and life. Most people see them as something that diminishes their ability to succeed. But if you can learn to treat constraints as a problem that demands an interesting solution, they feel far less constricting.
- Consider alternatives. Can you come up with a Plan B? Communicate the salient facts with the relevant people.
- Get help. Finding support can you give you the focus you need when you’re trying to get back on track after a disruption.
- Stay positive. Avoid negative self-talk. Adopt a growth mindset, so you’ll be able to examine what you need to thrive in this situation. You need energy to deal with disruption, so exercise control over your feelings. You might feel tired and fed-up. That’s understandable, but don’t give in to negative emotions. To find a way through, manage your resources. Control your emotions. Think first. Before taking any actions, consider all aspects of the situation and determine if your planned activity will benefit you.
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DISCLAIMER
Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this blog, nothing herein should be construed as giving advice and no responsibility will be taken for inaccuracies or errors.
Copyright © 2022 all rights reserved. You may copy or distribute this blog as long as this copyright notice and full information about contacting the author are attached. The author is Kate Russell of Russell HR Consulting Ltd.
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