Just when we thought that most of us are coming to terms with the grief, loss, social isolation, and financial uncertainty created by the pandemic, the current Russia-Ukraine conflict is further adding to our levels of anxiety and thoughts of helplessness and hopelessness.
As anxiety and fear increase, a variety of challenges are set to plague our lives, both on an individual level, and as a community. It is more important now than ever to build a tenacious outlook towards life and emerge to not only survive but to thrive through these challenges.
Because it is these grim times that call for and shape the future of not only one individual or a group who fights it, but also of the many others who encounter them. Of course, one is born with some tenacity, but more importantly it can be developed or learnt. And having natural tenacity is not fixed, it is like a muscle, you can build it up.
Here are five tips that can help build a tenacious outlook towards life in the face of adversities or life changes.
- Set measurable goals. When in a state of anxiety, often basic tasks or personal and professional responsibilities can all become overwhelming. One can also start questioning one’s capabilities to be able to complete them or to even meet basic expectations. Under such circumstances, it is important to take a micro look at the tasks and set measurable goals, set to be completed one day, one task at a time. On a macro level, this can also mean setting life goals which are smaller ones to start with but helps the mind to de-clutter, focus and build confidence once the task is completed.
- 2. Practice discipline. Discipline in doing smaller tasks and a daily routine helps create a solid pattern that ensures one can always have a structure in place. And over a period, it can help build positive patterns and ensure that challenges are not able to throw one’s routine off gear. This also helps in ensuring one remains functional and capable of not only taking care of oneself but also of those around them, in a manner that is the need of the hour.
- Build a positive relationship with yourself. Self-dialog is one of the most important aspects of building a stronger and more tenacious personality. What and how you perceive yourself becomes the basis of how you respond to challenges, whether they are big or small. Building a positive and affirmative communication pattern helps to not only diminish doubts or outdated negative conditioning, but also helps create a more self-reliant mechanism for developing confident decision-making skills which are no longer controlled by insecurities.
- Create a positive support group. As important it is to create and nurture a positive relationship with the self, being around supportive, and like-minded people also aids in creating the essential social framework of support and acceptance. Be it friends, family members, support groups or colleagues, it is important to have a set of people who can be a ‘safe space’ in times of adversity and can help give constructive feedback to ensure there is a useful third-party perspective.
- Build trust and faith. Lastly, being tenacious is as much about-facing adversity with a strong will, as it is about having faith and trust that one will overcome this too. Often when facing adversity, the biggest challenge is to give in to the feeling of hopelessness. Faith can be a huge enabler to ensure one keep fighting and working towards building oneself, in the face of the toughest challenges. Trust and faith help build a stronger base for ensuring one’s fears can be managed better, and that one continues to focus on fighting. People express faith in many ways. Faith does not necessarily mean faith in religion, but faith in life, faith in the Universe, and faith in the present moment.
These are important aspects to prepare you to face and overcome adversities with grit and hope. A tenacious personality creates positivity that can become a resolute force in times of crisis.
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