No matter what your own personal experience of the pandemic and the endless lockdowns was, there are a couple of things we can all agree on. It caught most of us off-guard; we all took a hit in some way; and there is plenty we can learn from the experience. And we’re all glad to be living a life on the other side of that crisis!
At Consoul though, we know that the most significant lesson many people learned is the importance of preparation.
We don’t mean stocking up on toilet roll (this time). We mean taking the time to build the mental preparedness that will see you through any kind of crisis. Mental fortitude is the best means of preparing our selves for future challenges life may throw at us.
Nowhere has the fallout of the pandemic been felt harder than in the NHS. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have seen a rapid decline in mental health, and watched as our NHS has been overwhelmed as a result of record-breaking backlogs. And while we all commend the efforts of all emergency service workers, first responders and NHS staff, we do have to ask an important question. Could we have been better prepared?
One thing that remains very clear, is that no matter how good things look, anything can happen. Before COVID-19 hit, many people felt bulletproof (or at least pretty resilient). But over the last few years, that confidence has certainly ebbed. If it isn’t a global event that sneaks up on you, it can be a personal crisis like the death of a loved one, loss of your job or a large, unexpected bill dropping through the letterbox.
So, what’s the best way of mitigating the adverse effects of any disaster, be it global or personal? Strengthen your mental armour and always be prepared.
One way you can build the kind of resilience that sees you through a crunch point in life is Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). NLP is a form of coaching that focuses on the relationship between language, behaviour, and thought patterns. It’s a central part of all the work that we do at Consoul, and has a variety of applications, not just building resilience. We seek to teach you how to reframe your thoughts and emotions, and adopt a more positive mind-set, to leave you in the best position to deal with whatever situations come your way.
But stronger mental resilience isn’t the only line of defence against future crises. NLP can be put to use in so many ways. Through targeted practice we can improve your motivation and sense of purpose, both of which are essential tools for dealing with times of crisis. For anyone who found themselves baking endless banana bread in the lockdowns, you’ll know the crushing effects that lack of motivation can have. And when it comes to our sense of purpose, the effects of losing your way can be traumatic. Having the motivation to work through a difficult time and reach the light at the end of a tunnel is an indispensable tool in every aspect of your life. When simple techniques like goal setting, visualisations and positive affirmations are practiced correctly the effects are life changing. One of the best ways of putting this into practice is through a process called Anchoring.
Anchoring involves associating a particular state of mind, emotion, or feeling with a specific physical action, gesture, or object. It’s essentially the process of stimulus response, (think Pavlov’s Dog). For example, you might associate feelings of calmness with taking a deep breath or feeling motivated with clenching your fist. Once the anchor is established, you can trigger the associated feeling or emotion simply by performing the physical action, gesture or looking at the object.
This is often seen in elite sport. Small rituals carried out before undertaking an important skill – like a conversion kick in rugby, practice swings before teeing off in golf, or the obligatory few bounces of the ball a tennis player will do before unleashing a serve – are all anchors, helping the players get into their desired state before executing the skill.
Fortunately, Anchoring can be used by everyone, not just elite athletes! And using anchoring to build mental resilience, you can create an anchor for feelings of strength, confidence, and positivity. During difficult times, you can activate the anchor to access these emotions and help you cope with the situation. Anchoring can also help you stay calm, focused, and in control when faced with challenges.
At Consoul, our goal is always to prepare you for whatever might be around the corner. None of us know what’s next, but you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t put in the work to ensure that you’re in the best possible position mentally, to deal with those challenges.
Get in touch with us today to find out more about some of our NLP courses, so that you can strengthen your mental armour. Just in case…!
