You are probably wondering what a lifequake is? Good chance is you have been through several in your own life already.
A lifequake is when your life is disrupted by either internal or external forces. A car accident, a sudden loss, an unwanted change in careers. Or something we have all been experiencing lately the collective forces and changes from COVID-19. Lifequakes are major disruptions to our otherwise “normal, peaceful lives”.
Are you good at isolation?
There is a lot of focus on “thriving in isolation” I think this time is much more about “thriving the new normal that is our lives now”. It is not about “being good” in quarantine, it’s about being successful at living your full life in the midst of disruption.
It’s about being successful at living your full life in the midst of disruption.
And here is the thing: our lives are changing all the time, faster and faster it seems like. So why not embrace this fact and prepare for it? We are learning that life is full of disruptions and they happen to us more and more frequently. The linear path of “born, go to school, get a job, get married and pass” is well over. We will all need a good amount of natural resiliency to “make it” these days. Part of being resilient is going through tough things, but also planning ahead for them. Honestly assess “how well equipped am I if disaster hits”? Some of the skills necessary will come natural to you, but others you will have to put great effort into learning.
Benjamin Franklin said it well: “By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail”.
5 things to do to get through a lifequake
1. It’s never too late to start – even if you’re in the middle of one, you can decide to do things differently. If you would like to feel differently about or change an outcome you have to do things differently.
2. Mindset – you have to believe that things can be different than they are right now, you have to believe that things will be good again. When you’re in the middle of it, remind yourself “this too shall pass”.
3. Understand that this will change you – sometimes we learn through joy but more often than not we learn and grow through pain. Once the lifequake has hit, understand that you’ll never be the same, some part of you has to go, you can’t take it with you in your future life. Are you willing to give up parts of yourself to find out what is on the other side?
4. Patience – be kind to yourself, act as you would if this were your best friend going through this pain and be patient. Change is often confusing, messy and difficult.
5. All the feels – allow yourself to be sad when you’re sad. I know it’s not comfortable, but sometimes it is necessary.
So, what can we expect from life now?
At times it is going to be a rough ride, but as an old proverb puts it, “Smooth seas make bad sailors” and most of us want to be good sailors or perhaps even great sailors in this life!
I have learned that you don’t have to go through it alone. At my toughest times I have always had a skilled therapist or coach by my side. Having someone by your side to help navigate a problem or dilemma, will make it easier and less daunting. Why not give yourself that? The time to begin is now. Did a big change just happen that you are not sure how to handle? Or are you looking for help on how to kick start a big change you have always wanted to do, but not sure on how or where to begin? It might be time for you to find out and you can do that by working with a life coach.
Yes the blog post is shameless self promotion, but I can justify it because it is so important that we do this work and prepare ourselves for what’s coming next, so we can live our lives fully.