Business Survival

Top tips to navigate your way through a global crisis

Let’s be honest, 2020 has been tough for many of us. Whether it’s your health, job, finances, relationships or the more general issue of having to get used to this new way of living, it’s fair to say that this year has not been the one we all anticipated. However, it doesn’t have to be all negative, as in the midst of a crisis there is always an opportunity for growth. We may have to look a little deeper for it, it may be personal or business, but in the dark of a global pandemic there are many ways in which individuals and businesses can get ahead and turn a negative into a positive. 

Mark Wilkinson, The Health and Happiness Coach, shares his top tips to navigate your way through a global crisis, or indeed any type of crisis.

1. Be your own security

If this pandemic has shown us anything, it’s that no industry is as safe and secure as we would like to think. As human beings we often rely heavily on our jobs or our relationships for security, but many have now experienced that these things can be taken away in a moment.

Right now is the best time for everyone to find their own security in the only place it exists; within ourselves. Use this time to get to know yourself and understand what you would truly like to be, do and achieve in life. Take a step back and look at what you perceive to be your security. What does it look like? Could it be taken away?

2. Create multiple sources of income

For many industries this crisis has spelt disaster for jobs, career paths and growth plans. And for the majority of people, relying on one job to pay for their lifestyle is the absolute norm, but in times of crisis this may not always be the safest option. The key to riding out any crisis the world throws at us is multiple sources of income. During this pandemic individual’s may have seen their incomes plummet and unfortunately for those in some of the industry’s worst hit, the future is still very uncertain.

They say the word ‘job’ is an acronym for ‘just over broke’, as that’s where it will keep you. This is why it is essential for everyone to think about multiple sources of income in order to create their own economy. Once you have achieved this you will be able to navigate any future crisis with ease. Use this time as an opportunity to turn a hobby into a business, to retrain in something you’ve always loved or even invest in assets that will bring you reliable revenue each month. Now is the time to take hold of the reins and future proof your own earning potential.

3. Find your purpose

Easier said than done? Take a moment to sit down and really think of your life and its purpose. If this time out from the real world has taught us anything it should be to stop and take stock of what we have achieved and what we would like to do with our lives to truly fulfil our life purpose. As human beings we are faced every day with our own goals, desires, hopes and dreams, but do we all really know what we want our purpose to be?

For some it may be to bring joy, for others it may be to educate, the best bit is you get to decide, and once you do you will be able to map out your own journey with more happiness and intent.

4. Put your mental and physical health first

According to The Mental Health Foundation as of late August 2020 almost half (45%) of the UK population had felt anxious or worried in the past two weeks due to the pandemic, down from 62% in mid-March. But there are still millions of people across the UK who are struggling.

Many of us forget to put ourselves first and we allow ourselves to push our own health and wellbeing to the back of our minds in order to try and please others. This is not good for our mental health and cannot continue.

In order to live a happy and successful life, we must as individuals take the time to put our own health at the forefront of our minds and address the issues that may be causing us any underlying health complaints. Whether it’s our relationships, our jobs or financial worries, we must take the time to understand our mind and body connection and learn to embrace the fact that being happy in the moment is the only thing we really have. And let’s not get worried about feeling dissatisfied. Dissatisfaction is a creative state which can foster a huge amount of good as for many it is often the biggest driving force for change. Embrace it!

Health is wealth and good health is priceless, it is up to us to keep a focus on putting our mental and physical health at the forefront of all that we do.

5. Calm down, speed up

It is time for us all to calm down and captain our own ship. Often it is the calm in the most aggressive storms that allows us to take stock and then speed up the areas and aspects of our lives that are successful. The calmer we are the more effective we can be at focusing on the things that make us happy, drive our purpose and help us get the most from life. This pandemic is an opportunity for many of us to take a step back, calm down from the haste of day to day life and reassess where we are going, what we would like to be doing and how to go about changing the things in our life that are no longer contributing to our happiness.

It is these ‘stepping out of your head’ moments, quietening our minds, that is essential for us to realign our needs and detach from the negativity that many people carry around with them. And this isn’t something that we should be doing once in a blue moon when we are hit by a crisis. The ability to take a moment, calm down and re-navigate our lives is something we could all be doing on a daily basis.

And remember – in every crisis there is an opportunity. Use this time well and educate yourself so that the next time the fear takes over and the world plunges us back into another crisis, you will be prepared for it.

Mark Wilkinson, The Health and Happiness Coach, reveals more of his tips for how to overcome challenges through a series of proven solutions to make positive changes in his debut book, ‘Life Remixed’. The book, which launches in Feb 2021, focuses on inspiring strategies to help others lead a happier and more fulfilled life.