Dr. Ádám Márky believes that the recent period was especially difficult because we had to face insecurity, loss of control and lack of information. “These are the three major sources of stress for every living creature, which makes this situation biologically exhausting.” Although now there is hope to get back to some kind of a new normal, Ádám believes “the burden and exhaustion of the previous months are still working in us.” Dr. Ádám Márky said that a “decision is either important or easy” which means that important decisions are inherently difficult to make. This process can be made easier if you are aware of the values most important to you that can help you guide your choices. “At the beginning of the pandemic I had a few empty days but then my calendar was filled very fast”, he recalls. “I found out how to be useful. This way, it is easier for me to select certain activities and say no to some things.” To be mentally flexible, you need some sort of a mindful presence which makes mindfulness very important for him in everyday life.
Hardened by the insecurities of the early phase of his career, Norbert Michelisz talked about the benefits of the lockdown with hosts Judit Endrei-Kiss, Chief HR Officer of Telenor, and Husna Hesna Al Ghaoui, fear expert. “Not being an extrovert, I was never comfortable with publicity. Therefore, I used the past 18 months to withdraw from public life. I have two beautiful daughters and I wanted to spend more time with them and with my wife, and the situation was a great excuse for not leaving home too often”, admitted Norbert. Norbert believes that if you identify your weaknesses and start working on them, you can convert them to strengths. He did so at the beginning of his career with the support of a sport psychologist. “I addressed my shortcomings one after the other over the years. Becoming more open about your fears often turns out to be the key to success”, he said. He added that difficult periods such as the pandemic can shape your personality and they are more suitable for creating value than comfortable situations are. “When everything goes smoothly, your personality doesn’t grow. Therefore, difficult periods are not necessarily bad.”
During the pandemic, we established and adopted new routines and we might never be able to return to our old practices in some fields. Such shifts can create fear, warned Judit Endrei-Kiss. Since fear can be both facilitating and debilitating, you should be aware of your fears and decide whether you let them control you, added fear expert Hesna Al Ghaoui.
For the fifth episode of the series please click here: https://youtu.be/FpaKv5r4_ww