13 Ways To Roll With The Punches

21st November 2014

By  Gaye Levy

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

The great recession of the 21st century has been marching forward for seven plus years. For many, these have not been easy times.  For the the enlightened, these seven years have been troubling and extremely stressful.  As questionable government controls are mandated and insidious corporate shenanigans and corruption are  uncovered, that stressful edge is likely to get steeper over time for many of us, with no end in sight.

In this type of environment, it is easy to become frustrated and immune to taking steps to effect change. Instead, many go about their day, afraid of rocking the boat or  too fearful to even think about the consequences of a major breakdown, crisis or natural disaster. Even those who  have prepared, stockpiled food and water and learned survival skills (such as fire building, sheltering and emergency medicine)  wonder whether we will make it through if/when the SHTF.

There is an idiom that is commonly used to describe one’s ability to deal with difficult and stressful situations. It is called “Rolling with the Punches” and it means accepting whatever happens from  outside your control, dealing with it, and moving on in a healthy and productive manner. It means having the skills to deal with difficult and unexpected situations, no matter what.

Learning to roll with the punches is a survival skill that can be honed and polished, ready to serve you when you’re faced with tough life situation. Today I will share 13 ways to roll with the punches, or  put another way, 13 tips for learning how to endure when the SHTF and the world around you seems to be falling apart.

13 Ways To Roll With The Punches

1.   Be Decisive.

Face it; most problems will not disappear by themselves so you might as well take action and get something done to solve the issues and problems at hand. Make decisions and act. You may not always make the very best decision but you will be doing something and it is that “something” which really matters.

2.   Establish good ties and social connections within your community.

Establish close ties with friends and family, stressing quality rather than quantity. Having these relationships will provide you with positive enforcement not only when times are good, but also when times are bad.

3.  Set  goals.

Even in difficult times, goals are important. They don’t have to be big goals and, as a matter of fact, smaller, more manageable goals are far more attainable. Say, for example, you want to begin a preparedness program. Identify small tasks and complete them one by one, month by month, task by task. [See 12 Months of Prepping – The First Year  for some ideas.]

4.   Turn difficult situations into avenues for personal growth.

Learn from each challenge.   If you have a problem that seems difficult to solve, let your innate curiosity take over and educate yourself. Become stronger through education, secure in the knowledge that no matter what your age, you are still learning and growing.

5.   Trust your instincts and remember you are capable of doing great things.

Instincts are developed from a lifetime of experience.   It does not matter if you are 20 or if you are 80. You still have life experiences upon which to draw some conclusions and to help you make smart decisions. Trust yourself to make the very best decision you can and remember that you have the ability to prevail, no matter what.

6.   Maintain your optimism.

You can’t change what has happened in the past, so accept the past and begin to look forward to the future. Anticipate what is coming with a sense of challenge even if the only challenge is to get through the day with food in your belly and love in your heart.

7.   Understand your strength and weaknesses.

Get out a pad of paper and make two columns; one for strengths and the other for weaknesses. You don’t necessarily have to change but from this list you can learn to understand and appreciate those circumstances where you will excel as well as those where you may fall short. Use this knowledge as a tool for building your confidence and your self esteem.

8.   Don’t forget that time will heal.

It is natural to feel overwhelmed and stressed during a crisis situation. But remember, time really does heal. Take baby steps toward overcoming the bad situation and congratulate yourself each time you meet with even the smallest modicum of success. Remind yourself that a month, a year, a decade from now, things will be different.

9.   Appreciate and accept change.

It is trite to say that change is good because sometimes it is not.   But whether the change is good or not, it is a part of life and is often something that we cannot control. The best way to cope with unwanted change is to accept it and adjust your plans accordingly.

10.   Stay fit and healthy.

Take care of yourself. Eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water and get some exercise each and every day. And most important, take some time for yourself so that you can enjoy simple pleasures such as a good book, some delightful music and the company of good friends.

11.   Be proactive.

Do something meaningful each and every day.  y doing something worthwhile each and every day, you will have a sense of purpose. Just remember to make this an individual thing. Meaningful should be defined wholly in your own terms and not those of someone else.

12.   Educate yourself at the “School of Hard Knocks”.

Life is a learning experience that will teach you things that you will never learn at a traditional school of university. Take advantage of learning opportunities by eagerly trying something new, even if it is outside of your normal comfort zone. Read as much as you can then get out there and just do it.   Use the one-two combination of hands and brains to acquire skills that will get you through both the best of times and worst of times.

13.   Ask your self “What is the worst than can happen?”

Dale Carnegie said: “First ask yourself: What is the worst that can happen? Then prepare to accept it. Then proceed to improve on the worst.”  To this day, that remains sound advice. No fear.

The Final Word

For most people, rolling with punches does not come naturally. That said, we do  not have  any other  option if we intend  to prevail in a society where punches  currently  seem to outnumber victories. Poor health, financial woes, family issues, fear of a disaster, and a deep concern about the future can and do create unbelievable stresses on our lives.

Increasing your ability to quickly recover from a crisis or a disaster may mean the difference between getting through life’s challenges with gusto and gumption instead of muddling through the day with fear and distress. Just remember that success can come from the smallest of accomplishments. The baby steps that seem inconsequential at the time have the ability to add up and become something much greater than the individual components.

I hope that you will take a good look at these thirteen tips and practice at least two or three so that you can build up your resilience and ability cope no matter how tough the situation in your life and our world might get. At the end of the day, it will be your ability to recover quickly that provides the key to surviving and thriving long term,  in these uncertain times.

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye

Further articles by Gaye Levy:

• Using Nature’s Remedies for Health and Wellness
• 20 All Purpose Remedies Using Essential Oils
• The Powerful Healing Qualities of Rosemary Essential Oil
• 15 Alternative Uses for Honey
• Vermiculture: How To Build A Worm Bin the Cheap and Easy Way
• Spices for the Survival Pantry
• 21 Home Remedies for a Toothache Emergency
• The Miracle of Tea Tree Oil: 80 Amazing Uses for Survival
• 26 Five-Minute Prepping Projects
• 10 Simple Steps Toward Self-Sufficiency
• Creating a Healing Garden: 9 Healing Herbs You Can Grow Yourself

About the author:

Gaye Levy, also known as  the Survival Woman, grew up and attended school in the Greater Seattle area. After spending many years as an executive in the software industry, she started a specialized accounting practice offering contract CFO work to emerging high tech and service industries. She has now abandoned city life and has moved to a serenely beautiful rural area on an island in NW Washington State.

Gaye lives and teaches the principles of a sustainable and self-reliant lifestyle through her website at  BackdoorSurvival.com.  At Backdoor Survival, she speaks her mind and delivers her message of prepping with optimism and grace, regardless of the uncertain times and mayhem swirling around us.  You can find Gaye through her website  Backdoor Survival.com, on  Facebook,  Twitter  and  Pinterest.

If you have not done so already, please be sure to like Gaye’s  Facebook  page, which is updated every time there is an awesome new article, news byte, or link to a free survival, prepping or homesteading book on Amazon.  In addition, when you  sign up to receive Gaye’s email updates  you will receive a free, downloadable copy of her e-book  The Emergency Food Buyer’s Guide.