Seems like most everybody is asking ‘What am I supposed to do if the government shuts down?’ Which translates into ‘Uuughph, this is going to interrupt my plans for [job execution, spring break, paying bills, financial security…. ]. One thing is sure, a government shutdown will create difficulties; and you can either struggle with the stress or use it as an opportunity for improvement.
It’s normal to have some feelings of anxiety and vulnerability associated with life’s difficulties. A key to turning this difficult experience into a positive one will be a person’s resilience – your ability to persevere and adapt when things go awry.
That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. ~~F. Nietzsche
Here are some ideas about increasing your resilience to the effects of a government shutdown*.
- Optimism will help you more than pessimism. Tell yourself, “this is only temporary, it is just this one situation, I can do something about my predicament”.
- Mental fitness – Recognize when negative thoughts are out of proportion to the reality of the situation’s direness. If you think it’s terrible, it will be terrible. Find opportunities to amplify positive emotions.
- Maintain relationships. Now more than ever, we need to hold each other up with constructive support. Use this time to strengthen personal and community relationships.
- How have you weathered life’s other difficulties? What strengths can you leverage for this situation? What’s the bigger picture? What opportunities are now available.
Here are other ideas from Gov Loopers:
*List inspired by April 2011, Harvard Business Review, Building Resilience, M. Seligman