Derailed

I recently witnessed the aftermath of a train derailment. It could have been worse. No one was hurt. The train wasn’t carrying chemicals or hazardous materials. No homes or businesses were destroyed. But the derailment triggered immense havoc. It…

Created a big mess.
Interrupted train travel for several days.
Caused traffic congestion and detours.
Negatively affected commerce for the shops, restaurants, and businesses located near the tracks.
Complicated the lives of the people who live and work in the area.
Produced stress for both the railroad and the community.
Was costly in terms of time, money, and energy.

Sound familiar? Currently many people are feeling that their lives have been derailed. Perhaps that’s you. Do you feel that circumstances over which you have no control have caused your life to be a train wreck, a disaster that may never be cleaned up? While we have no idea how long this situation will continue, the job of clearing the wreckage and getting back on track can start today. How? It starts in your head. Whatever “train wreck” you’re currently experiencing – illness (your own or a loved one’s), job loss, a crushed relationship, financial problems, disappointment, family issues, disrupted plans, whatever mess has stopped you in your tracks – you can start clearing it up today by taking some action and cleaning up your thinking around it. Here are five strategies for thinking and feeling better about your situation.

Monitor media consumption. Filling your head with bad news, fear, controversy, discord can cause your brain to spin and ruminate on situations over which you have no control.
Do a “brain dump”. Make a list of all the things that are currently causing you stress, worry, concern, frustration. Then go back and highlight or circle the ones that you can do something about and draw a line through those you can’t.
Make a plan. On another sheet of paper, list all the highlighted or circled items – the ones over which you do have control — figure out a plan for getting those pieces of your situation back on track, and then take action! Do something. Don’t try to do everything at once. Take on one or two and take some positive steps toward resolution.
Schedule “worry time”. Most of us can’t will our brains into immediate and total positivity, so if you feel the need to worry, schedule a specific time to do it. Allow yourself to sit quietly and just worry for 20 or 30 minutes a day. And when that time period is over, get up, stop the worry, and move forward.
Choose positivity. Connect with positive people. Listen to upbeat music. Read or listen to uplifting, inspiring books. Ask for help. Take a walk. Hang on to your faith.

Your personal train wreck may look and feel overwhelming, but you CAN get back on track. Here’s the truth – you may not be able to salvage everything. There may be some irreparable damage, but if you start with a decision, some brain work, and a plan of action, you’ll figure out how to get rolling again.