How to Cope When Things Don’t Go as Planned (MAJOR CRISIS!)

We’re in major crisis mode today!

I’m going to tell you something shocking: I am a very uptight person.

Whooooaa! Your mind is completely blown, right? Me, Sage? An uptight person? Ha!

Oh yes, I am the least easy going person I know. I’m rigid and stubborn and honestly not a pleasant person to be around when I don’t get my way.

I like things to be “just right,” and I bet you’re a little uptight too.

So how do intense anxious people like us handle a crisis?

In today’s video, you’ll learn how to cope when things don’t go as planned.

The video transcript is below for your convenience.

Next Steps

• Practice being flexible when things don’t follow your perfect plan.
• Check out the Insight Timer app.
• Get your free printable worksheets in the Editor’s Toolkit.
• Subscribe on YouTube.

Video Transcript

I’m going to tell you something shocking: I am a very uptight person.

Whooooaa! Your mind is completely blown, right? Me, Sage? An uptight person? Ha!

Oh yes, I am the least easy going person I know. I’m rigid and stubborn and honestly not a pleasant person to be around when I don’t get my way.

I like things to be “just right,” and I bet you’re a little uptight too.

So how do intense anxious people like us handle a crisis?

In today’s video, you’ll learn how to cope when things don’t go as planned. Let’s roll! I mean, let’s go? What?

Hey there! I’m Sage Grayson, a former book editor turned life coach. I help ambitious career women edit their habits, routines, and mindsets to balance their happiness at work and home. I’m a Life Editor…and so are you!

Before I tell you how to be more flexible, please give this video a big thumbs-up and hit that subscribe button so you won’t any of my life editing tips.

Many of my clients have high-functioning anxiety that makes it difficult to be flexible. We struggle when our well-thought-out, beautifully organized plans get ruined.

Intellectually, we know that this is life and we can’t control everything.

“One day I will be able to enslave the entire human race with psychic mind-control powers. Mwa ha ha ha!!!”

But that’s not today.

We’re going to talk about how to cope during a crisis and what to do to prepare for the next one.

Here’s what to do if you’re in the middle of a crisis.

OK, so your toddler is screaming her head off in the middle of the grocery store. Or you just spilled coffee all over yourself on the way to a job interview.

You’re in it. Right now.

First, take a deep breath. Maybe 10 deep breaths.

If you can, do a 2-minute relaxation meditation to bring your anxiety down to a manageable level. I love the short meditations in the Insight Timer app.

Next, give yourself and other people the benefit of the doubt. Your toddler might be screaming because she’s tired or hungry.

Your interviewer has probably spilled coffee on himself at one point in his life and would understand that you’re human being too. Show compassion to everyone.

Finally, choose the easiest win. What is the tiniest thing you can do to get moving in the right direction? That might mean abandoning your grocery cart full of food, picking up your kid, and walking out of the store. We all have days like that.

Or with the coffee spill, maybe you can put on a jacket to hide the stain or clean off as much as possible in the bathroom. An easy win won’t fix them problem, but it will give you a small sense of control.

When have you faced a crisis in your life? How did you cope? Leave a comment and let me know.

Here’s what to do before the next crisis.

First, practice being flexible with small things so that when you’re in a future crisis, it won’t seem so scary.

Maybe you can let your spouse plan your next date night. Or maybe let your assistant design the PowerPoint presentation even though it won’t look 100% perfect.

Next, choose one must-have for an important situation and focus on getting that one outcome.

So if you’re going on vacation with your family, pick one thing that will make you happy such as sunbathing on the beach. As long as you get your one must-have activity, let everything else go.

Finally, give yourself order and structure in other ways.

We can’t control the whole world, but maybe you can control your morning routine. Even 10 minutes at the start of every day can help you get your needs met even when nothing else goes as planned.

That’s it! This week, be flexible when things don’t follow your perfect plan.

If you like this video, please hit that subscribe button. Then come on over to SageGrayson.com and sign up for my free Editor’s Toolkit to get dozens of printable worksheets to help you edit your life and make a plan for the future.

Thanks for watching. I’ll see you soon.

This post focuses on Step 1 of the Life Editing Process, Create a Foundation. For more about life editing and what it can do for you, click here.