“Everything is bigger in Texas,” including our summer heat and storms! While we all know it will be sizzling this summer, the unpredictability of these storms keeps us on our toes – unsure of whether we will get to have the graduation parties, outdoor events, or trips we’ve planned. 

The fact is that life, like the weather, is unpredictable. Despite our best efforts to plan and control our circumstances, unforeseen events can and do occur.  Significant life changes such as a cancer diagnosis, the death of a loved one, a job loss, or a divorce can be overwhelming. However, with proactive measures and a resilient mindset, it is possible to navigate these challenging circumstances, emerging stronger and better when the skies clear. How do you keep your cool in the midst of life’s storms? Here are three important areas to address to ensure you are equipped to handle the storms of life.

1. Cultivate Emotional Resilience

Emotional resilience is the ability to adapt to stressful situations or crises. Building this resilience helps you manage adversity and overcome difficult experiences more quickly. Here are some ways to strengthen your emotional resilience:

• Practice Self-Care: We hear it constantly because it’s true – Regular exercise, adequate sleep, healthy diet, and time doing things you love, are important not only for physical health, but for your emotional well-being.
• Growth Mindset: Cultivating a growth mindset involves embracing challenges as opportunities, valuing effort, learning from feedback, and keeping your focus on continuous improvement. Life is a continued opportunity for growth, especially when faced with difficult circumstances.
• Community: Building a network of supportive friends and family is critical. We all have times of need, and having trusted people in your life that you can call upon in times of need makes the emotional roller coaster of overcoming challenging times a little easier.

2. Financial Preparedness

There is no question that financial stress will compound the difficulties in dealing with life’s unexpected events. While you may not have the financial reserves you’d like when disaster strikes, knowing what you do have and having everything organized will help ease your stress. Here are a few tips to help you make sure you can access the information you need when you need it:

• Accounts – Keep a spreadsheet or written list of all of your financial accounts, including the name of the financial institution and the account number(s). There are secure programs available to utilize.  
• Insurance – Ensure you have adequate health, life, disability, and property insurance to cover potential medical expenses, loss of income, property replacement or funeral costs.  
• Emergency Fund – Aim to save at least three to six months’ worth of living expenses in an easily accessible account, such as a savings account or money market account. Consider adding someone you trust implicitly to the account in case you are incapable of accessing it due to illness or injury.
• Estate Planning & Legal Documents – Make sure you have Powers of Attorney in place to designate a trusted individual to make medical and financial decisions on your behalf. Also, make sure you have at least a basic will in place. 

3. Education and Empowerment

Knowledge can empower you to make informed decisions during difficult times. However, the source of that knowledge matters.  

• Qualified Source – Make sure you are getting the right information from the right person qualified to explain things to you, whether this is a treating or consulting physician, lawyer, financial advisor. All too often, people go to the internet – and the information they find is confusing, overwhelming or just plain WRONG. Or they ask their friends and family for advice and receive information that is also incorrect. Also, that professional may be able to provide you with information that is pertinent for your situation if you want to continue to study and research.  
• Ask Questions – Write out any and all questions you have ahead of time. It can be hard in a meeting with a professional to think of all the questions you have, but it is so helpful to have a list that can guide the conversation and ensure you walk away with the information you need to make informed decisions.
• Go Back to School – Changes in circumstances can often include reentering the workplace, or even transitioning jobs. Consider taking classes to bolster your existing skills or learn new ones, which will better equip you to handle the transition. Or take a class to learn a new hobby to help you feel empowered to find some joy amidst your current struggles.  

While it’s impossible to predict and prepare for every life event, taking proactive steps can significantly ease the burden when unexpected circumstances arise. By cultivating resilience, planning financially and legally, seeking support, and staying informed, you can better navigate life’s unplanned challenges and “keep your cool” through some of life’s heat waves and left turns.