Keeping it together when things fall apart

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) -We all want our lives to go smoothly and “as planned”. But experience tells us--all too well--that things can and will go wrong. That’s the reality of life.

But how we handle these situations can either make them go from bad to worse. What’s the secret of keeping it together?

Mike Smith, PhD. in Industrial & Organizational Psychology and 26-year veteran with the U.S. Air Force, has experience with helping many of the world’s top leaders keep it together when things seem to be falling apart.

Dr. Mike’s tips to keep it together when things are falling out of place:

• Respond instead of react: Those who crumble to the pressure react. Those who get through it respond. This is the gist of the matter. Reactions are done on impulse. Responding is a more thoughtful action done with reasoning.
• Control your emotions: When things fall out of place, most of us are flooded with negative emotions like anger, worry, sadness and even revenge. The key to getting through these situations is to put those heavy emotions to the side and approach the situation using logic to make decisions.
• Be flexible: One of the most important secrets of keeping it together is to be flexible. I
• Expect the best but prepare for the worst: It’s a nice thought to say things will always workout for the best. It’s also untrue. We should all expect great things to come into our lives personally and professionally, but at the same time be prepared when things don’t go according to plan.
• Take a break: Stop focusing so much energy on the problem. That is exhausting. Take breaks to refresh and recharge.

Learn more about the expert guest, Dr. Mike Smith, at https://johnmattone.com/team/mike-smith-ph-d/.

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