{"id":20727,"date":"2021-10-20T18:20:49","date_gmt":"2021-10-20T07:20:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/margiewarrellold.flywheelsites.com\/?p=20727"},"modified":"2021-10-20T18:20:49","modified_gmt":"2021-10-20T07:20:49","slug":"how-to-thrive-under-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/margiewarrell.com\/how-to-thrive-under-pressure\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Thrive Under Pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a kid, my dad often took me fishing in his rusty tin boat. Every now and again it would spring a leak. Dad was always creative in finding ways to plug the leak until we returned to shore. Blue tack. Candy. One time he used an apple. He\u2019d often say, \u2018Boats don\u2019t sink because of the water around them, they sink because of the water that gets in them.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That saying stuck with me. It\u2019s been particularly helpful in life\u2019s stormy times when I\u2019ve felt like I was swimming upstream or just struggling to keep my head above water. This pandemic has presented a few. On each occasion, I\u2019ve reminded myself that it\u2019s not the problems and pressures pulling me under but how I\u2019m weathering them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chances are this pandemic has piled extra pressure on you. Maybe you\u2019re feeling worn down by the weight of the load; the ongoing uncertainty, disruption and relentless pressures to keep up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If so, you\u2019re not alone. You\u2019re human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not one of the 7+ billion people on this planet has it all together, all the time. Nada. But every single one of us has the ability to weather life\u2019s storms better \u2013 with fewer leaks and stronger sails \u2013 so that we can emerge from them better off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To that end, here are five practical ways you can do just that; staying calm, cool and collected under pressure. At least most of the time. No one is 100% together 100% of the time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1 Take a Sacred Pause<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stop. Just stop. Just take one minute to cease your busy doing<\/em>, connect with your being<\/em> and reset before moving forward. And if you don’t have a whole minute, then a few seconds. Research shows that pausing, even for as little as 50 to 100 milliseconds, allows the brain to focus on the most relevant information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A dramatic example of a leader who paused during a landscape-scale crisis is Captain Chesley Sullenberger. After both of his plane\u2019s engines failed from a bird strike shortly after takeoff from New York\u2019s LaGuardia Airport, Sulley had to think fast: try to land at a nearby airport as he was being urged by the control tower or shoot for a water landing. He paused and reflected for a matter of seconds\u2014all that he could afford\u2014before deciding to pivot and land in the Hudson River. It was the right decision. All 155 people on board survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stakes are likely not huge for you but the pause can be no less vital. So before you read any further, gift yourself with a sacred pause and become present to this moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consciously feel the ground under your feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the deepest breath you have all day. Follow it in. Follow it out. Do it again. Five times. And as you mind jumps all over (as it will), notice it doing that then draw it back to your breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Label the emotions you\u2019re feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then before you get back to your \u2018To Do\u2019 list, focus on your \u2018To Be\u2019 list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask yourself \u201cWho do I choose to be right now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calm. Focused. Brave. Gracious. Grateful. Decisive. Kind. Optimistic. Patient. Present.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Move on from that place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2 Clarify your \u2018vital few\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chances are you can easily come up with a list of \u2018to do\u2019 list longer than your arm; one that would have you working 24\/7. Little wonder so many people have been doing close to that over the last 18 months as the pandemic dissolved the normal delineation between work and home life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time is the ultimate leveler. We all get the same amount. Trying to jam more into your day can leave you on a treadmill of striving, but never arriving. So rather than trying to do<\/em> everything, take a few minutes to decide what are the most important things to do right now – today, this week, this quarter? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Press \u2018Google Earth\u2019 and imagine looking down on your current situation with a broader birds-eye view.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is most important right now? What will have the greatest consequence a year from now if I don\u2019t do it? What will have the least? What can I progress now that could pay off later?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prioritizing the \u2018vital few\u2019 requires accepting trade-offs. That some \u2018nice to do\u2019 things won\u2019t get don\u2019t. That you will need to say no and disappoint people. That you may experience some FOMO. That some people may be unhappy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So be it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mental space you get from focusing on those vital few will be more than worth it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#3 Prioritize Self-Fullness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No one can drink from an empty cup. If you\u2019re something who likes taking care of others\u2019 needs and desires, you have to fill up your own cup first. As a woman raised to be a selfless caregiver, I know how \u2018putting myself first\u2019 can quickly trigger guilt. But selflessness and selfishness are two sides of the same coin \u2013 neither serve you or others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t need to consult a nutritionist or attend a retreat to start prioritizing what strengthens you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n