Run a successful organisation and engage with your community SECTION – Strap here Managing your PTA Turn adversity into strength
Life has its ups and downs, and knowing how to adapt to adversity is essential to our health and happiness, says Josh Floyd
a fundraising raffl e, but a group of parents complained loudly when they had problems buying tickets; someone sent you a list of complicated suggestions and posted comments on social media because you didn’t use their ideas. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from
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the diffi culties we all face. The good news is that psychologists have identifi ed methods and strategies that enable us to navigate through crisis and overcome misfortune.
Look for the silver lining Mentally strong people have the ability to see the positives in tough circumstances. Rather than seeing the world through rose-coloured glasses, they recognise that it’s possible for good things to come from hardship. This doesn’t erase the hardship, but it can make it easier to cope with. The next time you face a challenge, ask yourself
the following questions: ‘What can I learn from this? What is this an opportunity for? How can this positively affect me?’
Focus on your strengths Think of a time when you did something you were really proud of. Now think about the strengths, skills and talents you used to make this happen. These are your signature strengths. Know that
e’ve all encountered challenges that left us feeling defl ated: the event you spent hours organising wasn’t as popular as you’d hoped; you set up
you carry these with you wherever you go. You can deploy these strengths whenever
you’re faced with a challenge, such as moving home, starting a new relationship or changing career. Embracing your strengths will give you confi dence in your ability to handle any challenge that comes your way.
Choose your response We all experience bad days and crises in our lives, but how we respond to these situations is up to us. When something ‘bad’ happens, we can choose to react negatively, or we can opt to remain calm and look for a solution. Often, our reactions are habits we’ve fallen into. It’s important to realise that you always have a choice. When faced with a setback, pause for a moment and consciously decide how you would like to respond.
This too shall pass When you’re going through a tough time, it can feel as if things will never change. Whatever the situation, remind yourself that ‘this too shall pass’. What is stressful now will be just a memory within a few weeks, months or years. Nothing lasts forever. Everything changes with time, especially the way you see things.
What’s your explanation? The way you explain life’s setbacks to yourself is important. Psychologists say that an optimistic (and therefore more resilient) ‘explanatory style’
‘If you learn from defeat‚ you haven’t really lost’ Zig Ziglar
pta.co.uk SUMMER 2021 23
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