The Most Powerful Response You Can Choose In A Difficult Situation, According To Experts
Your response can empower or disempower.
Tetiana Nekrasova | Canva You have the power to empower or disempower yourself and others. The difference between the two often comes in how you respond to adversity.
The struggle of life is one with various challenges. Some challenges are quick and easy to figure out, and we flow quickly to the next step. Yet, some life challenges can fill us with hot and volatile emotions.
In those moments, we can choose to respond or react. Reacting tends to lead us away from resolution and toward the disempowerment of ourselves and others due to the impact of knee-jerk expressions of extreme emotion. However, when we choose to respond, we take the first step to resolution.
How do you wield the power of your response?
The most powerful response you can choose in a difficult situation, according to YourTango experts:
1. Staying calm, optimistic & resilient
It is essential to keep your composure and emotional equilibrium when confronted with difficult circumstances. Take several slow and deep breaths. Work on maintaining as much composure as possible so you think clearly and make judgments that are in your best interests.
Try to keep an optimistic view of life and always keep in mind that challenging circumstances are typically only transitory. Adopting a resilient mentality will allow you to quickly recover from any setbacks you may have.
— Sidhharrth S Kumaar, Founder NumroVani
2. Trying breath work
The first step to solving every problem is to calm down. Whether the challenge is related to love, health, money, career, etc. until you are calm, you won't be able to think clearly. Until you are calm, you won't be able to ask for the help you need. My go-to is a breathing technique called brain breathing which always works.
— Susan Allan, The Marriage Forum Founder
3. Cultivating inner peace
Calmness is a powerful tool that can transform the dynamics of any challenging situation. When you cultivate inner peace amidst chaos, you're better equipped mentally and emotionally to handle conflicts and uncertainties. Calmness enables you to approach challenges with a clear focus on resolution rather than getting entangled in the turmoil of emotions.
By embracing a calm demeanor, you put yourself in a position of strength and become a source of stability for others. Your calm state is an influence, encouraging open communication and understanding.
A composed mindset also allows you to be a better listener, tuning in to the conversations, understanding unspoken emotions, and grasping the underlying concerns. This enables better proactive conversations and problem-solving, even in the most heated situations.
This calm clarity of thought is invaluable in all difficult situations. It ensures your actions have a positive impact, not just in the moment but in the future. So, amidst the storm of difficulty, embrace calmness to steady your mind and emotions and enable yourself to create positive outcomes, understanding, collaboration, and growth for everyone involved.
— Sue Kohn-Taylor, Mental Fitness & Self Leadership Specialist
In short: Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm.
Remaining calm in challenging situations is the most crucial choice you can make to respond powerfully to life's most stressful challenges.
When we come from a center of calm focused power, we can change the world.
Will Curtis is a writer and associate editor for YourTango. He's been featured on the Good Men Project and taught English abroad for ten years.