SURVIVAL STRATEGIES – COVID 19

This is very delicate moment, when a great number of people are living and will live with serious financial difficulties, and are very likely to have family and health issues, among others. We cannot deny this aspect and we have to face reality as it is. However, every coin has two sides, and the other side of this situation may be very positive for a large number of people, who will use this moment to boost their lives, be it through their family ties, friendships,  health, spirituality or professional careers. For these people, the crisis will be the fuel that they needed to start the car and accelerate towards what they desire for themselves in several dimensions of their lives.  

The crisis has also brought isolation. Allow for this and be led by it, since it is only in silence of our thoughts that we find ourselves, and this is a wonderful moment in which to define the future we want, based on the awareness and enhancement of who we are.

Now, the seat that each one will take on this trip, whether as a passenger or the driver, will vary. During times of adversity, we can react in at least three ways, and the first two are understood as those who sit in the passenger seat, while the third,  more commendable, is for the one who chooses to sit in the driver′s seat of his own life:

1. Indifference, apathy, paralysis or denial.
2. Lack of emotional control. Even more dangerous if the person uses social media to expose his/her opinions, thoughts and routine.
3. The crisis as an opportunity. These people are open to learning and to developing the skills needed to overcome the crisis and to use it as a learning curve. These people do not deny reality, but use an unfavorable situation to propel themselves towards a better future. The crisis becomes a fantastic window of opportunity.

To increase your probability of survival, during a period of crisis, and at the end be grateful for the valuable opportunity that life has brought, one should:

LEARNING: Look at the crisis as if it were a master class, which precedes the life you always wanted, or that you never imagined would be possible. What is needed for survival in a crisis cannot be taught, but only learned by living through a crisis. These are skills that can be learned, but cannot be taught.  

SELF-AWARENESS: Get to know yourself profoundly. The more you know your strengths and limitations, the clearer your mission in life will become, with the knowledge of the direction in which you should turn your compass.  

SELF-ESTEEM: You are a unique and singular individual. Developing high self-esteem will help you to believe that you are capable of overcoming and surpassing difficulties, by trusting yourself. Make a list of your successes and victories in life.

REST: Let the dust of everyday life settle, so that you can see the people and situations around you more clearly.  Clarity brings safety. Practice some healthy habits to relieve the tensions arising from isolation. Take care of your health, your engine, and prepare it for your life′s Grand Prix, which may be about to start!

FUN: Joke and laugh at your own mistakes. As you relax and enjoy yourself, ideas will appear and problems will be solved.

EMPATHY: This will help you to perceive the signals around you more quickly and accurately in order to better deal with people and adverse situations. It increases your ability to predict the best thing to do.

DEMAND: Be demanding with everything you do, never miss a chance to get it right the first time round. Show your value, passion for life and respect for opportunities that may appear.

FLEXIBILITY: Learning to think, act and behave differently will increase your chances of survival. Take advantage of this time to develop behavior and attitudes that are opposed to those that come naturally to you.

WILLPOWER: Do what is necessary in order to keep your balance in the present and build the future that you want. The time is now.

HUMILITY: Recognize and accept your mistakes and limitations. Your identity and strength depend neither on a professional and academic titles nor on your marital status and material goods.

PRINCIPLES AND VALUES: Review these, strengthen them and use them as a guiding star for your thoughts, decisions and actions. Prioritize your goals in life so that they bring you gains that are perennial, not ephemeral.

RESILIENCE: This will strengthen your emotional reactions, making it easier to adapt to the new reality in order to rapidly control the situation.  Use the crisis to become an even stronger person, a reference for safety and trust by others.

FEELINGS: Do not be afraid of what you feel. Always stay in touch with your body signals and the messages they send. Balance reason and intuition.

SERENDIPITY: Develop the ability to transform something accidental and unsatisfactory into something beneficial. A crisis such as the one we are going through can open wonderful doors in your life.

SYNCHRONICITY: Believe in fortuitous coincidences (Jung). Improve your radar, in order to perceive the unexpected and unplanned events around you. Allow yourself to flow with the signs of nature.

SOCIABILITY: Appreciate those who appreciate you. Family is fundamental. Avoid relationships that will get in your way and delay your journey, seeking out those who aggregate and bring you closer to that which your heart tells you.   With respect and discretion, stay away from those who may delay your journey.

It is important to point out that the suggestions given above are not a complete list of what can help you in a crisis, since only during your journey will it be possible for you to increase your repertoire of strategies in order to adequately deal with it, thus increasing your ability to survive. Survivors acknowledge the responsibility of overcoming the situation on their own two feet. Survivors gain strength and prosper in adversity, using the crisis as a singular moment to revise, reform and strengthen themselves and the relationships that are important to them. This is a time of awakening, of turning inwards, of seeing that which is truly essential and valuable to you, so that the horizon which is ahead of you can open and expand.