How to Manage a Personal Crisis

When sudden circumstances force a crisis upon you, my first piece of advice is to consult with a trusted advisor, whether myself or another qualified professional, to help you navigate the delicate situation with a bird's eye view of the crisis, emotional calmness, and foresight. Getting a clear perspective of all aspects of the situation and taking decisive action is the only way to either get out of crisis mode or lessen the effects of a dire situation. Assess the situation and develop a plan. Move from uncertainty to certainty.

Until you can have a consultation, however, my advice for anyone in a crisis is:

1. Avoid seeing your personal crises as an insurmountable set of problems by changing how you interpret and respond to these events.
2. Avoid blowing the event out of proportion. Even when facing a very painful set of events or set-backs, try to consider your situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective.
3. Accept that change is a part of living, and that certain goals may no longer be attainable.
4. Develop some realistic and compelling goals based on your newly defined life purpose for the next chapter of your life you have yet to live out.
5. Take decisive action knowing that the past does not equal the future if you have a plan.
6. Invest some time and resources in Self Discovery. (See my Resources page [http://www.williamstickevers.com/resources/resources.html] for some excellent reading material.) It is often periods of adversity that enable one to spiritually grow and psychologically mature of result of the struggle with loss or failure. You will come out of this period with increased self-confidence in your ability to solve problems and begin trusting your instincts and intuition again.
7. Start taking care of yourself again by paying attention to your own needs and feelings. Start exercising regularly if you do not already, and start networking with friends, family, and people in your community. If you feel you need psychological counseling to help you move forward from your trauma, get it.
8. Begin to engage again regularly in constructive activities that you enjoy and make your feel alive, and/or find relaxing.
9. Cultivate a long-term optimistic outlook on your life which will enable you again to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try doing some guided mediation and visualizing on what you want with gratitude, rather than worrying about what you fear.