There are many models for staying sane during insane times. This piece describes one approach people can take to retain their sanity when things seem to be going crazy in the world around them.
The first step is to clarify what you can control in the situation. It is then to build on your strengths and focus on the following themes.
Staying True To Yourself – Such as following your life principles.
Satisfying Things – Such as doing satisfying things that encourage yourself or other people.
Success – Such as setting specific achievable goals and doing your best to achieve success.
Different people follow this approach in different ways. Let’s explore how it is possible to follow these steps in a particular situation.
Building On What You Can Control
The first step is for a person to clarify what they can control. They can do this when aiming to stay positive in a chaotic world or, for example, when aiming to do satisfying work in a challenging organisation.
Imagine that you want to stay sane in a particular situation. What are the things you can control in the situation? You may be able to maintain a positive attitude, behave in a professional way and do your personal best.
What are the things you can’t control in the situation? These may include what is happening in the wider world, certain people’s behaviour and other events that are beyond your control.
How can you control the controllables in a particular situation? How can you build on what you can control? How can you manage what you can’t control?
Building On Your Strengths
The next step is to build on your personal strengths. Bearing this in mind, what are your strengths? What are the specific activities where you deliver As rather than Bs or Cs?
What are the activities where you feel in your element – at ease and yet able to excel? What are the activities that give you positive energy and where you also deliver positive results?
Bearing these things in mind, how can you build on your strengths in the particular situation? What may be the benefits of taking this approach?
Imagine that you have clarified what you can control and also your personal strengths. Let’s explore how you can be true to yourself, do satisfying things and do your best to achieve success.
Staying True To Yourself
There are many ways to stay true to yourself during chaotic times. One approach is to follow your life principles. This can enable you to keep doing what you believe in and do your best each day.
Imagine that you want to follow elements of this approach. One way is to start by brainstorming and then settling on, for example, the three key principles you want to follow in your life.
Different people will obviously focus on different principles. Here are some that people write when exploring these themes.
My Principles
I want to encourage people in my life and work … I want to continue to have a sense of gratitude … I want to care for my loved ones … I want to create enriching environments in which people grow.
I want to use my strengths to help people to succeed … I want to build pioneering things that show people a better way … I want to pass on knowledge that people can use to shape a positive future.
You will, of course, have your own set of principles. Bearing these in mind, you can then aim:
To clarify how you can follow these principles in a specific situation and rehearse translating these into action;
To move into action, be fully present and aim to follow these principles in the specific situation;
To return to your centre, refocus on your principles and then clarify how you can follow these in the next specific situation.
The following section provides an exercise that you can use to follow this approach in your own way.
Clarifying how you can follow
your principles in specific situations
Let’s assume that you have settled on the principles you want to follow. You may then aim to pursue these in different situations.
These situations are like different boxes you go into during your daily life. You may be aiming to encourage a person, help a customer, lead a team, tackle a challenge or do another activity.
Imagine that you will be going into a specific situation. You may start by clarifying the results that both you and the other parties – such as a person or group of people – want to achieve.
You can take time to prepare properly. You can rehearse how you follow your principles and manage any challenges. You can then go into the situation, be fully present and do your best to achieve the desired results.
As mentioned earlier, you can then aim: a) to return to your centre; b) to remind yourself of the principles you want to follow; c) to then rehearse how you can follow your principles in the next situation.
One key point is worth bearing in mind. You may find it useful to clarify your expectations and what you can and can’t expect to happen in the situation.
You will always do your best but there will be some situations where you can expect certain responses. Sometimes there may be positive responses, sometimes there may be neutral or other responses. Bearing this in mind, it can be useful to explore:
The positive things that could happen in the situation;
The neutral or other things that could happen in the situation.
Looking at the situation from your side, you will aim: a) to focus on what you can control; b) to rehearse properly; c) to do your best in the situation.
Looking at the situation in perspective, however, there may be things that are beyond your control. It is important to bear these factors in mind when judging how things went in the situation.
Let’s move on to the next step for helping you to stay sane in crazy times.
Satisfying Things
There are many ways to do satisfying things that encourage yourself and other people. Bearing this in mind, it can be useful to ask yourself the following questions.
What are the things I enjoy doing? What are the things that give me positive energy? What are the things I feel passionately about? How can I do more of these things?
What are the satisfying things I do in my life and work? What are the things that I find stimulating? How can I do more of these things? What will be the benefits – for myself or other people – of taking these steps?
Who are the positive people that I enjoy being with? How can I spend time with these people? How can I encourage these people? What else can I do to encourage other people in my life and work?
There are several benefits to doing satisfying things that encourage yourself or other people. These include being able to feel alive, build confidence and also build your inner strength to deal with challenges.
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
Success
There are many ways for people to maintain their confidence during chaotic times. Bearing in mind what they can control in a situation, one approach is for them to take the following steps.
They can focus on a specific activity where they believe there is at least a 7+/10 chance of success. They can then aim: a) to build on their strengths; b) to set a specific achievable goal; c) to follow strategies that work and do their best to achieve success.
Rebuilding or maintaining confidence is often a by-product of success. Bearing this in mind, a person may focus on the following steps to increase the chances of achieving this goal.
Different people follow this approach in different ways. Whatever route they take, however, they do things where they stand a good chance of achieving success.
Some people may care for their garden, paint a picture, write an article or renovate a building. Some may aim to encourage a person, do a creative project, tackle a challenge or do another activity.
Some people do things were they aim to help other people and, as a result, they experience the helpers high. That is just a by-product, however, and their main aim is to encourage other people.
As mentioned earlier, there are many models for staying sane during insane times. The first step is to focus on what you can control in the situation. It then to build on your strengths and focus on the following themes.
Staying True To Yourself – Such as following your life principles.
Satisfying Things – Such as doing satisfying things that encourage yourself or other people.
Success – Such as setting specific achievable goals and doing your best to achieve success.
Let’s return to your own life and focus on this final theme. Can you think of a specific activity you want to do where you stand a good chance of success? How can you pursue this activity in your own way?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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