What’s the Name of Your Storm? (9/2/22)
Even though I keynote women’s conferences all over the US, I live in Louisiana. Like so many of you in our area, every year I prepare, plan, worry (and pray) to be spared from those destructive storms we call hurricanes. And all of those hurricanes – all of those storms – have names.
At some time in our lives we ALL have to deal with our personal storms. And they all have names too. You may be in the middle of your own personal storm right now. You’re in an unhealthy relationship. You’re dealing with family conflicts. You’re worried about your health or the health of someone you love. You’re anxious about your career, your finances or your future. You’re struggling with feelings of anxiety, loss, grief, anger, fear, frustration, depression, disappointment, isolation or loneliness. I’m sure there are other words you can add to that list!
But don’t give up. You are not alone. We ALL have our own personal storms to face. So depending on where you are right now, I have two questions for you.
- What’s the name of your “storm”?
- What are you doing to be a “storm survivor”?
If you’re not sure how to answer that second question, these strategies can help:
Stop comparing yourself to how others might manage this better.
Cut yourself some slack.
Give yourself credit for what you’re doing right.
Put your pride aside and ask for help when you need it.
Accept the help others want to give.
Be kind to yourself.
Tap into your strengths. (You have many!)
Spend time with positive, supportive people.
Find joyful moments whenever and wherever you can.
Breathe.
Make time to take care of YOU!
Although we do have advance warnings to prepare for hurricanes, our “personal storms” often don’t give us much notice. Hopefully, your life is (relatively) stress-free at the moment. But as we know all too well, life can change without warning. So there may be a day in the near future when you’re thinking, “I wish I had saved Jean’s article! I need it NOW!” No worries. All of my blog posts are on my site, www.jeangatz.com. You can access them at any time… even in the middle of the night when your ‘personal storm’ is keeping you awake!
