Unexpected Events In Life: How to effectively deal with it?

Life is full of surprises and unexpected turns just like a roller coaster. We are here on this planet as we bought the ticket for this roller coaster ride called life. We are sure to face ups and downs in life. What is the best we can do to deal with unexpected events?

“Life is like a roller coaster, live it, be happy, enjoy life.” – Avril Lavigne

John and Jimmy are co-workers in an IT company. One day morning, as usual, John and Jimmy are going to the office in their cars. Both got stuck in traffic. Both have to attend an important meeting with their director. John got stressed and started thinking.

“Why is this traffic now on this road?”

“It is already 10 minutes I am still stuck here…”

“I am going to be delayed. I even have work to complete before going to the meeting.”

John got into negative thinking. As a result, he moved to a stressed state.

On the other hand, Jimmy waiting in the same traffic block, still annoyed about the time getting wasted. Jimmy switched on his music system and started listening to his favorite movie songs.

Both of them reached office late. After entering the workplace, John is talking about the unexpected traffic block. He still seemed worried about the time wasted. As a result, John could not complete his work the best way as he could. John was not in his best form in the meeting either. Whereas, Jimmy seems to be more relaxed and put across his points well in the meeting.

At the end of the day, John came back home and told his wife “Today was a bad day. It started off poorly with a traffic block”. Whereas, Jimmy was happy with his day.

I am sure you also have faced similar negative unexpected events in your life. These unpredicted happenings affect your daily activities.

Most of us like to live our life in a balanced, habitual way. Wake up at a regular time and have a particular routine. But it can get distracted by unforeseen events. Perhaps your husband was working late and not getting up on his regular time. As a result, you have more things to do in the morning. Maybe your kid got sick, entire day’s plan collapses. Do you get angry, feel frustrated about the unexpected events?

Let’s discuss ways to deal with unexpected events.

1.  Accept that unexpected things can happen

First of all, accept that unexpected events do occur in everybody’s life.

 It could be small things affecting just your day-to-day life –

You realize after reaching the office that you forgot to take the key of your office room.

You are cooking your breakfast and notice that veggies are not enough.

Your kid’s school bus is late, and you end up wasting your time.

Your organization is going for a restructuring, and you need to move to a new team.

It could also be significant changes impacting your entire life.

Life is full of unexpected turns and twists. Some make you frightened as stated above. Sometimes life gifts you with surprises like – an award, or when you shift to a new place, you find an old friend there. We might get many sweet surprises as life unravels itself.  We are better capable of dealing with positive changes. Even though sometimes, it can be overwhelming.

Most of us struggle with unpredicted adverse changes. Accept that nobody is exempt from unexpected events in life. This acceptance will equip you to tackle eventualities.

2.  Do you have control over any of the unexpected events that regularly occur?

Think about any of the past unexpected events. Do you have control over any of them?

Many times if we plan early, we can avoid many of the unexpected events within our control such as forgetting the keys, running out of veggies and so forth.

If we have no control over them, learn to deal with them effectively.

3.  Prepare yourself for the unexpected

Plan for the possible unexpected events and be ready to handle them.

To avoid a shortage of veggies during cooking, have a regular check of your vegetables and buy regularly. Also plan ahead the food menu and check the availability of items.

To avoid forgetting keys, keep them in a handy, safe place.  Write down the things you need to remember and remind yourself in the morning.

Have a dongle ready for internet failure to avoid disruption of your work from home.

Service your car on time to avoid car breakdowns.

Have a first aid box available at home.

We may not be able to prepare for all the eventualities. So preparedness also means having mentally prepared. Include exercise, meditation as part of your life, so that you can handle adversities in a much better way.

4.  Never react immediately

If we act quickly, we might end up countering emotionally. Instead of responding rapidly to any event, do deep breathing for a moment or two.

Avoid thoughtless reactions. Use your logic and reasoning over your emotions while you respond. Focus on “How” to solve the problem rather than the “Why.” This way you can have a more sensible response.

Do you have a plan ready to tackle this unanticipated situation? If so, execute the plan. If not, you are going to learn through this experience.

5.  Acknowledge your emotions

Now, you are facing an unexpected reorganization at your work. You are unhappy about it. You have no control over it.

Talk to the superior about your unhappiness. You can also share it with your colleagues.

Even though you should not react emotionally, you need to acknowledge your emotions. Hiding your feelings and acting adaptive may not be helpful you in the long run. At the same time, it is important you get out of your pain quickly.

6.  Stay Positive

Remember, how Jimmy handled the traffic block. By listening to music, he moved his mind to a more positive state.

Think about the roller coaster ride, how do you get out of a frightening twist? Keep going; there is no other way out!

Unanticipated events are part of our life.  We need to stay optimistic and keep going. Sometimes we just need to do nothing and only just go through the experience. Always, remember that “This also shall pass…”

At the other end of the twist, there might be a fun-filled surprise waiting for you.

Hope these tips will help you to deal with unexpected events in life. Would you have more advice on handling adversities?

Please Share them through comments.

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