{"id":25436,"date":"2022-03-09T14:13:07","date_gmt":"2022-03-09T14:13:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.talogy.com\/thriving-through-adversity-part-1-the-survival-response-2\/"},"modified":"2025-09-19T15:03:42","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T15:03:42","slug":"thriving-through-adversity-part-1-the-survival-response-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talogy.com\/en-gb\/blog\/thriving-through-adversity-part-1-the-survival-response-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Thriving through adversity, part 1: the survival response"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Across the globe, we are individually and nationally at different stages in how we respond, manage, and – all being well – recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.  There are four stages we transition through in coping with adversity, and the Talogy Thrive Cycle of Resilience outlines the psychological stages of coping with change and adversity. In this blog, I will discuss the first of these four stages (Survive), with advice on how to successfully work through this stage in relation to the current pandemic and lock down. Stay tuned for future blogs, where I will cover each of the subsequent stages of the Thrive cycle.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Talogy Thrive Cycle of Resilience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Survive<\/strong>: How we initially respond to adversity<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Adapt<\/strong>: How we adjust to change and adversity<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Recover<\/strong>: How we bounce back from setback and adversity<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Thrive<\/strong>: How we grow and become more resilient following adversity<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"talogy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    \n\nEach stage may last for different periods of time. Sometimes we become stuck at one of these stages, which makes it difficult to move on to the next stage. It is important to recognise that going through each phase is normal and necessary. At the start of the COVID-19 crisis, there was a strong temptation to deny or ignore the potential dangers, and it took a while for many of us to reach the Survive stage. We chose to cling on to the false hopes and disinformation that suited our views: \u201cIt won\u2019t reach us in the West\u201d, \u201cIt\u2019s just the common cold\u201d, \u201cIt only affects older people\u201d, \u201cWashing our hands is the solution\u201d.  Yet, reality is reality, and most of us when faced with adversity will sooner or later fall into the survival zone for a period of time. How long we spend in this zone will depend on many factors, one of which is our level of resilience.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Survive Stage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    \nThe survival stage is characterised by feelings of fear and anxiety that may cause us to overreact and bring out the worst in our behaviour. Think of the panic buying in shops, blaming others for passing on the virus, and looking after ourselves at the expense of others, to give several examples. What\u2019s important is that we don\u2019t get stuck in this phase. The risk is that we catastrophise and exaggerate problems. Our brains are hard-wired to focus on bad news, of which there is no shortage at present. Every day we are updated on how many more people died from the virus. Can you imagine if this is what we did for all the other illnesses, accidents, and fatalities that still occur every day in every country across the globe? How depressing life would be! I noticed recently in the newspaper a single small paragraph describing another terrorist atrocity in France. Only a few weeks ago this would have been front-page news, created international outrage, and been the focus of our attention. Where we focus our attention is to a large extent our reality. In order to move on from the Survival stage to the Adapt stage, we need to redirect our attention away from fear and anxiety towards more positive and constructive emotions, such as acceptance, hope, and appreciation.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n