April 6, 2020

Are you bouncing backward or bouncing forward?

Adversity comes in many different forms, with loss being a central theme. Loss of a loved one, loss of a seemingly certain, stable, predictable lifestyle. Depression is the human struggle with adversity from the past. Anxiety is wrapped around an imminent uncertainty of future events. Left unchecked, our thoughts can take over in unhealthy ways.

Adam Grant, Wharton Professor of Psychology, is one of my favorite authors. He has teamed up with Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, for a sequence of excellent videos sharing specific tools we can implement in our daily rituals as we move through the current events.

The videos promote their co-authored book, OptionB: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy and website, www.OptionB.org, which are committed to helping people build resilience and find meaning in the face of adversity.

Mum Effect – Making people feel invisible by not engaging. “How are you today” can be a powerful shorthand for empathy.

Affective Forecasting – Humans are generally poor judges of their future emotional states, often choosing fatalistic visions. Replace the words “always” and “never” with “sometimes.”

Self-Confidence and Self-Compassion – Approach yourself with the same level of kindness you would show a good friend.

The Platinum Rule of Friendship – Treat others the way they want to be treated.

Take Action and Help People – Don’t ask for permission to help.

Thankfulness Journal – Writing down the positive areas of your life is the key to building more.

Bounce Forward – Psychologists have discovered that when facing adversity, some don’t recover, they bounce backward, but those that bounce forward and grow stronger from the experience gain the advantage.

In normal times, it’s common for people to take on challenges, struggle and make mistakes. We help professionals through the post-traumatic stress behavioral loop of life.  What amazes me is the growth that comes on the other side. Helping professionals grow beyond adversity to reach their personal and professional goals is our shared purpose at Misura Group. I hope you find these videos helpful. – Tony