Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes

Test your coping strategies under extreme stress and pressure and learn to respond not react.

Picture the scene, I couldn't make this up...

It's 01.35 at Madrid airport 🇪🇸. 

I'm with my lad, I tuck him under my arm and we sprint to try to get our connection to Lyon 🇫🇷.

We race to a different terminal, through passports🛂, pushing straight to the front.

Better to ask for forgiveness than permission right.

I'm used to this drill of the airport hustle, so I know what's coming.

Gate closed. Plane in front of our eyes. Not allowed to board. "Daddy, let's get on the aeroplane now". 🤦🏻‍♂️

He's sick but has enjoyed me sprinting with him under my arm (small win I guess).

This is a tricky one. 

The best of the 💩 options presented to me by useless customer services is a flight out at 07.35 stinging me for £233, with no option to put us up for the remainder of the night.

But on the plus side... "we'll give you a complimentary additional bag for your trip" awesome! But useless, and possibly a piss take, still not sure 🤔. 

So, we go in search of somewhere to lie down for a few hours.

Oli is doing amazing to be fair to him. His dad on the other hand a superb mix of mad, exhausted and concerned. Fair to say my head was in the shed.

But I had to make a pretty quick choice. I had to respond to the situation, if I reacted then all those emotions above wouldn't make for a great situation for me or the wee man. 

I chose to label the night on the airport floor as a 'camping adventure', I chose to breathe, I chose to totally zoom out and label this an uncontrollable situation.

On reflection, I was super proud of Oli and myself for the way we'd not reacted, by the time we put our tired bodies on the cold hard airport floor it was 02.51

The reaction to a bit of a shitty night at Madrid airport wouldn't have been possible without something changing for me. How I respond to intense stress.

Shout out to anyone who has had to do an overnighter in a random airport, you have my respect.

*oh and we had a 4-hour delay the next day as well 🤷🏻‍♂️c'est la vie. Oli's reaction "Daddy, I don't like adventure camping." Me neither mate, me neither. 

A lot of the work I do now is helping people to respond not react to stress and pressure. That's why Pete Olusoga and I have put together this stress management course. To help you to respond not react.

Take a look at the link below 👇, hope to see you there.

https://wellness-blueprint.mykajabi.com/corporate-thrive-interest