31 Jan, 2022

4 Ways To Maintain Control In A Crisis

Management

Written by

Micha Berkuz

When disaster strikes, one of the most common responses is feeling overwhelmed and having a loss of control over the situation. Such negative emotions make things seem worse and lead to anxiety.

“Losing your head in a crisis is a good way to become the crisis.” – C.J. Redwine

Staying in control can help you overcome a situation or at least find a way to come to terms with it — no matter how dire it seems. Read on for 4 ways to maintain control in a crisis

Stay positive

It's difficult to resist the temptation to give in to negative emotions when you’re faced with a crisis. One way you can try is by fighting these feelings off with the power of positivity.

Reminding yourself of all the good things in your life can help you to find a silver lining in the cloud of negativity brought on by a crisis. Practicing gratitude is another good way to feel optimistic.

Focus on what you can control

In every situation, there are things that we can change and those we can’t. When we focus on the things we can’t change, we get frustrated as all our efforts don’t lead to anything apart from us losing control.

To avoid this, focus on the things you can change about the situation you’re in and train yourself to accept what you can’t. Being able to take action for those things will help you feel more in control.

Step away from the situation

As with anything bad, staying focused on your trouble only makes you feel worse about it. Instead of dwelling on the crisis, remove yourself from the situation. With some distance, you’ll get a little more clarity and will be more likely to be able to come up with solutions.

In addition, the distance might show you that the crisis isn’t as bad as it seems up close. This will go a long way towards helping you calm down and regain control.

Meditate

Meditation is a good way to keep you in control when things aren’t going well. It gives you a clearer perspective of what's truly important and helps you stay grounded so your stress levels are lowered.

There are many ways to meditate with different benefits. Mindfulness meditation can help you reduce the anxiety that’s prevalent when you’re going through a crisis and improve your self-control. It can also be part of your coping strategy and the more you practice it, the easier it will be to maintain control when a crisis arises.

“Don’t wait until you’re in a crisis to come up with a crisis plan.” – Phil McGraw