Fear and uncertainty are the most common reasons why people feel stressed, anxious and helpless. With the coronavirus pandemic putting a halt to our daily routines and lives as a whole, people in the UK and worldwide are facing a severe mental health and wellbeing crisis.
With a growing number of lives lost, accelerated changes to our lifestyles, mandatory physical and social distancing, and the wearing of protective face coverings, people are feeling frustrated, worried, anxious, overwhelmed, detached and less confident.
Insecurity has been around for ages, but never more so than today—the global pandemic has only heightened such feelings. Human beings crave security; we’re more confident as a species when we know what to do. It is becoming increasingly difficult for many people to cope with the current uncertainty.
If you’re feeling anxious and less confident due to the impact of the pandemic, know that you are not alone. There are positive actions you can take; join the increasing number of people who have decided to improve their self-confidence.
To help you come out of this crisis stronger, the five behaviours below will, if you implement them now, boost your self-confidence and enable you to rediscover your identity. You will feel more motivated, confident, and in control of your life as a result.
Accept the Situation AND Tackle the Things You Can Control
Though scientists worldwide are working around the clock to develop a vaccine, we don’t actually know how long we will have to adhere to varying levels of restrictions.
Come to terms with the uncertainty in the world. Rather than worrying about circumstances you can’t control, focus on the things you can control. This mindset will help you rebuild your confidence.
Practice Mindfulness
Rather than worrying about how things will unfold in 2021, focus on living in the present. While there may not be much to look forward to, practising mindfulness will help you achieve a calm and peaceful mind.
We can, of course, still plan for the future, set goals, and work towards achieving our personal and business objectives—the pandemic doesn’t have to infringe on our imagination, visualisation skills or our ability to take positive steps towards the outcomes we desire.
Ask questions of yourself and try to understand your feelings. Once you know the reasons behind the negative thoughts in your mind, practising mindfulness can help you transform them into positive thoughts.
There are countless ways to practice mindfulness, e.g. yoga, guided meditation, healthy eating, exercising, talking therapies, etc. Another reliable method is seeking the help of a wellbeing expert.
A wellbeing practitioner can provide support to those suffering from a lack of confidence and lost identity, and who, as a result, have lost their direction in life for more than a year.
Surround Yourself with People You Trust
Let go of the people in your life who drain your energy. Identify instead those people who uplift, motivate and love you—spend quality time with them.
There’s a saying that goes, ‘If you lie down with dogs, you’ll get up with fleas.’ If you don’t want fleas, don’t lie down with dogs. In other words, if you don’t want negativity in your life, don’t hang around negative people.
‘You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.’ ~ Jim Rohn
Spending time with family and friends and expressing your problems can provide support, relief, and increase your confidence.
Social and physical distancing is mandatory, but that doesn’t mean you must completely disconnect from the world. Use the communication channels available to us to your advantage; reach out and forge healthy relationships.
Learn to Thrive in The Face of Uncertainty
Don’t let fears and worries have the upper hand in your life. Accept the uncertainty that comes with specific situations. And like Bertrand Russell said, ‘The trouble with the world is that the stupid are so confident while the intelligent are full of doubt.’
What You Can Do Right Now
Identify Your Trigger Points: a pessimistic outlook on life leads to self-generated uncertainty. And while external factors can play a part by adding to the same, you must learn what initially fuels your negativity.
By identifying your triggers, you can find ways to deal with them, so that you can avoid feeling helpless. Identify conditions that make you feel stressed and anxious, and study how your body and emotions react.
It’s essential to experience all kinds of feelings and emotions. Acceptance is the first step towards building confidence. When you come to terms with your emotions and trigger points, with practice, you will learn to let go.
Next Steps
I’ve created an easy, effective, powerful system that anyone suffering from a lack of confidence, motivation or resilience could immediately apply and benefit from when they work with me. I help people rediscover their identity, so that they feel physically robust and better equipped mentally; ultimately, they feel in better control of their lives.
Please contact me directly for more information about how this can work for you. Email enquiries@mikelawrence.co.uk or call 07967 052585.