10 Ways To Stay Sane In A Completely Insane Environment

 

There are circumstances in our lives that are totally beyond our control. Like when you find yourself overstaying your welcome in a place you never would have ventured if you had a choice. Or when you find yourself in a hostile environment, crammed in the throes of office politics. You try to maintain your cool. You don’t want to be the fool. And because silence is the best answer for a fool, you choose silence. But for how long? How long before you lose it? Here are ten (10) tried and tested ways you can maintain your sanity in a totally insane environment.

1. Silence is the best answer for a fool: Absolutely avoid the drama. Ignore it. You’ll be poked frequently with small talk, side-talk, and incessant laughter and gimmicks. Ignore them all. Trust me, when you do this you get the upper hand. Why? Sooner or later they run out of ideas. They start to sense their own folly.

2. Create distance: Familiarity breeds contempt so keep your distance. Distance creates scarcity and scarcity inevitably leads to high demand. So be the diva. Stay out of the circus. Don’t make yourself available to be poked. Soon you become the most wanted. And your word becomes gold.

3. Use your mojo: There has to be something you are very good at that gets your adrenalin running. Find it and use it. You have to make yourself happy. Usually hostile environments suck you dry of your sweet, bubbly energy. So you have to keep those energy levels high. Are you an artist, a songwriter, a chef? Throw yourself into creating something new any chance you get and stay alive. Stay above the tempest.

4. Remember forgiveness: You’re going to be doing a lot of it so keep that in mind. When you find yourself in a place where you are the center-of-irritation, you will be doing a lot of forgiving than you’ve ever done before in your life. Most times the offender loses touch of what’s reasonable and what’s fair. So they will step on your toes even when they don’t intend to. So forgive, forgive, forgive. Plus forgiveness helps you breathe easy. It is anger that chokes and puffs you up.

5. Conceal your pain: Never, never, lose it. Ahn, ahn, not allowed. You mustn’t lose your cool, flare up or begin screaming like a deranged monkey, and because of what? Because they shredded your printout and claimed they didn’t know it was yours much less useful. Of course they knew. They certainly knew it was yours and that it was useful. But hey, was that why you smashed the printer and huffed in the face of your supervisor? Snap out of that nightmare right now! You-are-not-going-to-lose-it!!!

6. Do not repay evil for evil: You will only become like them, simple and short. So don’t scheme, you’ll become a schemer. Don’t plot you will become an evildoer. Don’t backbite you’ll become a gossip. Don’t tell lies, you’ll become a liar. Don’t repay evil for evil. You will become like them.

7. Give excuses for their stupidity: Psyche yourself up sometimes. When you say, ‘good morning’ and you’re ignored, greet them again. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Invite them to eat when your lunch arrives. Ask what time it is. Say welcome. Say goodnight. Cut them some slack. This way you pour hot coals on their heads. Maybe, just maybe they will snap out of it or choke on the bile gag.

8. Keep the poison out: Let’s face it, you will get angry. You will sometimes be bitter. You will puff up with rage. Why? Because of the mean things done to you and the very mean things said about you. All that whispering and endless clacking, trust me you would be sometimes if not mostly enraged. But never let it become who you are. Try as much as you can to keep the poison of anger, bitterness and rage out of your heart.

9. Pray for your enemies: Yes, and I’m not preaching. It is the fact. If you are going to keep the poison out of your senses, you are going to need something greater than all the tips already shared here. People are at their lowest when they begin to pick on their fellow human beings. And because this insanity gives them a rush, they would do anything and everything to fulfill their lust. They have become puppets to their resentment of you. So pray for them. If not for anything else, pray that they regain their sanity.

10. Make room for reconciliation: Some people were poisoned just as you are about to be poisoned. So make room for some of them. When they wake up from their slumber, they will come waddling up memory lane with their tails between their legs, asking your forgiveness. Some would be genuine, others fake and cunning. When that time comes, you will know the difference. Only make room in your heart for the truly repentant. Some people though, you will have to cut off. Remember, we are talking about your sanity. You’ll win some and lose some.

Start here, start now; Share your experiences — Drop a comment — others will be happy to learn from them.

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Bukkie Olufemi-Omodara