Are you playing the Victim or Surviving?

Are you Learning to Have a Survivor Mentality?

It’s no surprise that the outbreak of a pandemic would create an immense amount of our population to exhibit both panic, victim complex, and a decrease in some of our confidence. For the average American, our worlds have been void of the need to trigger our survival mechanisms for almost 100 years. For some of us, survival is not something we think about in the real terms of surviving. Thus the hashtag #1stworldproblems and the rise of usage over the past few weeks since the Covid-19 virus hit our shores in the US.

I’d bet to say, you’re probably feeling a little off track with what you thought you’d be doing right now?

Most likely, you’re feeling like so much of this is unfair or unreal?

Maybe you’ve even found yourself reverting to childhood comforts that made you feel safe that you’re parents provided to reassure you? (Hello, 4 boxes of Thin Mints in 2 days while watching TV, and grocery shopping to stock up on creature comforts even if you already had a case of Charmin in the closet at home!)

Take a deep breath because figuring out to do in the face of the unknown is literally one of the abilities that make you human! You were created to work through problems and however, you’ve learned to figure out problems is most likely right now how you are coping with this pandemic and the results of it in your life & business. 

Perhaps you were raised to feel that everything is against you, and so this has heightened a victim complex that is keeping you focused on what all is being done to you instead of what you can do to make it better. And it would be easy for me to just say, “Stop doing that”, but this is the way you’ve adapted to situations where you’re brain has been told to survive. 

So how, if you’re feeling all these things do you flip the switch and begin learning to have a Survivor Mentality? Especially if all the “psychology experts” out there say that teaching you how to survive isn’t possible, that instead, it is something you must learn on your own. I believe that right now, most of you want to learn and so below I am sharing what I believe from experience but also what those “psychology experts” say creates Survivor Mentality and a few of my tips and resources so that all of us can come out of this very trying transition better than we began.

CURIOSITY - Research What’s Needed to Transition

What skills do you have that could be used during this time, today, not tomorrow? Do you know how to cook because the average American goes out to eat 6-8 times a week? They are going to need recipes, ways to make it last, supplies they never have had to purchase before now to make their meals. Do you run a business that fits into this? Maybe you’d like to start one? Are you a teacher or child care provider that had to shut down? Millions of moms who never thought they’d need to homeschool are looking for not only free resources but someone to guide them on how to keep their kids focused. Get curious about where a skill you have can fill a new need that is just waiting for you to fill it.

CREATIVITY - Get Creative about the Work

Whether it’s the working parts of your business or the working parts of your home, this transition is going to require you to get creative with new strategies to keep it flowing and people being interested. Does it still make sense for you to marketing on Instagram or would it make more sense to start marketing more locally? Maybe your working from home for the first time and you’re realizing that there just isn’t a way to do the balancing act of kids, work, and home. What if you planned for each day to be themed in an area for your kids’ school work instead of trying to have them do it all every day? Don’t be afraid to bend the rules if the rules are too strict. Get creative with them as long as it isn’t putting anyone in danger or making life more difficult then go for it. Take time to brainstorm with others in your household, don’t discredit someone who doesn’t know what it is you’re doing either. Sometimes the person furthest from the situation will have the clearest point of view.

CAPACITY - Do What’s Necessary to Delete What Isn’t Necessary

The first week out from school, the first week working from home, the first week having everyone in your house under one roof all the time does not equal to getting anything more done than what gets done. If you haven’t felt it already you most likely will feel that nothing you thought was important two days ago is really what is important to get done today. Take a few moments to recognize that this survivor circumstance is changing by the day and it means that every day we need to reevaluate our personal capacity for what is necessary to change and evolve. This is why brain dumping and categorizing what you write down into groups is important. You can watch my Facebook LIVE about brain dumping here.

These are the three areas of adaptability you will need to care enough about learning in order to begin building a Survivor Mentality during this very worldly shift we are living in as a people. Learning how to exercise your curiosity, use your creativity and protect your capacity are the building blocks of someone who is able to survive and yes, thrive after transitions like this affect their lives. The next step once you decide you are going to learn these character traits is to be honest about your mindset of self-sabotage. As much as adaptability is what I feel is my wheel-house, mindset is something I have had to seek out support and help. I recommend looking for a few books to read or listen to during this time. I share about the woman who helped me the most in my LIVE about this topic.

Tell me, do you feel like you’re able to access the ability to be curious, creative, and build capacity right now or are you feeling so overwhelmed right now you’d love just a bit more help?