Emerald Harvest Consulting, LLC
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Picking Up the Pieces
(Cont'd)
Certainly,
I don’t know that those birds felt the emotions of remorse
or grief, but even if the wind-ravaged nest was only a disruption
in their plans, it had to be at least that – a major disruption.
I
believe we can take in life lessons from all sorts of events.
This one had me wondering not only about the fate of those bird-parents,
but how people deal with disappointments and setbacks.
How do we recover from a major loss – whether it’s
a person, a thing, a fortune, a job, a failed project or business
or some aspect of ourselves?
Here
are some possibilities:
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If it’s been a major loss, allow some time for
grieving. People often bury themselves in busyness
rather than dealing with the emotional blows of the situation.
You might be able to stuff those emotions go underground,
but they won’t go away until they are acknowledged and
dealt with. And if they don’t go away, they will resurface.
-
Engage in activities that nurture you. Identify
things that bring you joy and do those, even if you have to
force yourself. Take especially good care of yourself.
-
Reach out to others. Recognize that you aren’t
alone. Talk to others who have traveled or are traveling down
a similar road. After a major layoff at work, it’s helpful
to let people communicate. Managers should be more available.
“Surviving” employees can benefit from acknowledging
and expressing.Ask
the people around you to support you in specific ways and
then let them.
-
Ask,
“How do I need to change to adapt to this change?”
Sometimes,
people develop a sense of helplessness when change happens
to them. Being more proactive in the change process (your
own) will provide a sense of power and optimism.
-
Focus
on the Future.
Once the grieving progress has begun, identify something positive
and exciting to work toward. Put things in perspective. As
daunting as it may be, remember that ‘This too shall
pass.’
-
Integrate
your own growth. A retrospective look at the situation
can reveal the ‘silver lining’, which isn’t
always apparent in the midst of the monsoon. After you’ve
had to grapple with pulling your life/career back together,
you will recognize new skills and new capabilities that you
developed on the journey.
-
Celebrate
your arrival. Once the storm has blown over, acknowledge
your progress, celebrate the new perspective you’ve
gained, and express gratitude for having endured and grown
from it.
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