WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU LOSE CONTROL

Like many people, I try to keep ‘me’ safe by taking control of as many of the variables in my world as possible. Recently, I have found myself in a situation where I control almost nothing! Not only that, but I know very little too. I will be travelling to strange places and working with strangers, organised and supported by more strange people. It is more than enough to trip my , flight-fight mechanism.

This is something a lot of people face every day, and we are each triggered by different things. What trips me, is a breeze to you, and vice versa. So what to do when you are ‘triggered’:-

• The first and perhaps most important step is to recognise it. After all, you can do nothing about it whilst you re still in denial, and that is most people’s first port of call (“I’m alright… no really..”)
• Next thing is to breathe. Sounds daft, but breathing fully and calmly changes your body chemistry that is at present awash with ‘Danger’ hormones.
• Accept that you are triggered and don’t have access to your usual resources, so:-
  • Don’t trust yourself and your instincts as much as usual
  • Accept any help offered
  • If necessary, ask for help
  • Take the time you need, don’t be rushed
• Stay open to these new experiences. The Universe has a great way of giving us just what we need, just when we are ready for it. More than likely, this is just what we really require to move onwards and upwards
• Be honest with others about your feelings. Honesty is disarming, and when one of the gazelles in the herd smells danger, he becomes triggered too, and his reaction may be fight, rather than flight, and you don’t want to attract that response

I wish you luck with this, just remember, that despite all our instincts, we aren’t running this world, not even our world, and ‘The Management’ probably does know best!

“Between stimulus and response is our greatest power – the freedom to choose” Stephen Covey

 

 

This entry was posted on Friday, January 18th, 2008 at 09:15 and is filed under Flight / Fight, Hints, Tips & Techniques, Mini-Articles, Personal Change, Values & Philosophy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.