Survival Tips Through Conversations With My daughters
I have a close relationship with my daughters and in this challenging time we make up for this lengthy physical separation through regular group video calls. We have open conversations about what is happening in the world and how it is impacting our personal lives in our various locations. We give each other support and encouragement when one of us feels down. They are a continuous source of inspiration for me as I witness them navigating their lives during this crisis. In my role as a parent, I do what I can to support them drawing from my own life experience and from what I have learnt about human behaviour and change.
My eldest daughter, a science journalist, has been reporting on daily coronavirus news since the pandemic hit Europe in March 2020. While you and I can choose to take time out from the news of the pandemic, she as a reporter ends up facing these scary realities on a regular basis. She was the one who guided us through the sensible yet difficult decision not to meet at Christmas as originally planned. I was so moved by her sense of community and global responsibility in doing the right thing. Under the circumstances, she of course is working from home, away from the physical support of fellow colleagues and mentors.
On the other hand, my youngest was one of the students who did final university exams during the pandemic. Shortly before her graduation, the UK plunged into the March 2020 lockdown. The reality certainly did not meet her expectations of how her bachelors’ degree would come to an end. There was no graduation party or a celebratory conclusion to three years of hard work as is customary. Instead, we had an intimate celebration at home in our garden. Like many in her shoes, she is applying for jobs in an environment that she had not imagined in her wildest dreams. For people like her, staying positive and motivated can sometimes be a struggle. Here you are, armed with your degree, your fresh talents and skills, and your dreams but with nowhere to go. Frustrating! As she is also an elite athlete with a realistic possibility of going to the Olympics, the cancellation in 2020 was a blow. Now she and her fellow athletes are training hard for 2021, which could also face cancellation.
“We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.”
– Martin Luther King, Baptist Minister & Activist.
How does one stay motivated in such an environment of uncertainty?
These are the tips that we collectively came up with during the many conversations that keep us motivated and lift our spirits up:
When job applications do not lead anywhere then keep your thoughts realistic and avoid making hasty decisions about your personal capabilities. Realise that the world is facing an economic crisis that has a huge influence on recruitment and employment. The rejection does not define you. How you respond to the rejection and the lessons you choose to take from it can help shape you.
“Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.”
– Robert Schuller, Author & Motivational Speaker.
Having a purpose is important in staying motivated so set yourself some weekly tasks to help you structure your week and avoid being purposeless. Getting up at a regular time in the day and getting dressed for the work you are planning to do can help with that structure.
“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”
– Friedrich Nietzsche, Philosopher
Think skills and do some online workshops that teach you something new and different. It can also be something unrelated to your studies like learning how to code, a writing course, or painting, all good for your mental and emotional wellbeing.
Stay connected with your peers so you realise that you are not alone. Sharing is caring and also a problem aired is a problem shared. This also allows you to offload to each other, exchange tips and ideas, and cheer each other up.
Plan in some time out and away from your stressful daily job, where you can take walks in nature and disconnect from what is happening in the world for a short while. Choose to do this in your lunch break, especially in the winter months when the light is at its best at midday. Find some quiet, sit in stillness and breathe. Press the pause button on your problems. Everyone deserves a break. This can help to recharge and energise you.
Start a journal, in which, you can write about your experiences and reflections. Difficult times teach us valuable life lessons that are important to record. Your thoughts and reflections might be an inspiration and motivation for others and you can look back one day and remind yourself of your strength and the challenges you have overcome.
Last but not least remember that nothing is permanent and this time too shall pass.
“Sooner or later, every last echo fades. Even the loudest thunder in the deepest valley.”
– Brian K. Vaughan, Comic Book & Television Writer.
