We all struggle from time to time, and if some of us are completely honest sometimes it may feel that we are more often in a ‘struggle’ than we are out of one. And whether that struggle is because of sickness,
loss, mental health, challenging finances, global pandemics, family drama, or work issues it can be tough! If, however, you are an individual committed to growth, which I am guessing you are as you are here reading this blog, it can be helpful to consider how we navigate through seasons of struggle.
I think it’s helpful to firstly note that many times we find ourselves in opposing situations. So you can be working hard to achieve a goal, but also struggle with imposter syndrome. You can be doing great at work but still struggle with anxiety. You can be hitting your personal targets and still feel like it’s not good enough and be overwhelmed. You can be winning financially yet be impacted by sickness. This is part of the beautifully complex experience called ‘adulting’ which we are each navigating our way through to the best of our ability.
A strategy you could consider when going through seasons of struggle is pausing your non-essential activities. In a similar way that we each have 24 hours in a day, and once they are gone they are gone, we each only have a certain amount of energy available in any 24-hour period. If current struggles are taking up lots of your energy, whether that is physical, emotional, or mental there may not be enough for other areas. So rather than wait for everything to become overwhelming, be proactive and make a choice to pause some non-essential activities, and reserve your energy just for the essential responsibilities. For the areas that cannot be paused delegating may be a suitable option.
In an earlier blog, I wrote about the misconceptions of multi-tasking and that the better option is mono tasking. In seasons of struggle, you may need to focus on just one thing. Yes, just one! I know there are many demands, especially when it comes to work and family time. However, to minimise the feelings of overwhelm just focus on one task at any one time.
There are many other strategies that can help in a season of struggle, but the last strategy that I will share in this blog is support. You may find that support isn’t readily offered, but that may be because many of us have perfected the art of managing and looking like we have it all together. Instead, you may need to ask or seek support to help you in your season. Whether from friends, family, colleagues, or a professional you deserve support. No one is exempt. The support systems I have in place personally, have provided so much help in my own seasons of struggle and enabled me to bounce back quicker and continue being productive.
Remember seasons do not last. If pausing temporally will help you in the long run, please be intentional
and do that. Achieving our goals, pursuing the vision, and living the dream should be considered a marathon, not a sprint. You will win in the long run.
Francesca McDowall