What do you do if your composure is tested while pursuing a promotion?

When faced with the challenge of maintaining composure while striving for career advancement, one finds solace in anchoring oneself to a few key principles. Firstly, focus on the process rather than fixating solely on the outcome. Embrace the journey, recognizing that setbacks are often stepping stones to growth. Secondly, cultivate resilience by reframing obstacles as opportunities for learning and development. Lastly, seek support from mentors, peers, or trusted advisors who can provide perspective and guidance during moments of uncertainty. By nurturing these habits, one can navigate the complexities of pursuing a promotion with grace and determination.

Creating a connection with your body is something you can do ahead of time. I advise this to all people: on a daily basis have a habit of noticing sitting in a chair, the feet touching the ground, and the texture under your finger tips. When you are feeling confused, overwhelmed, upset, or other emotions are flying high, refer back to a place in the body that's easy to capture with attention.

Staying grounded means keeping yourself calm and focused during the promotion process. It's like planting your feet firmly on the ground so you don't feel overwhelmed. When you stay grounded, you can think clearly and make smart decisions, even when things get stressful. It also helps you stay true to yourself and handle your emotions well. So, by staying grounded, you're better equipped to handle whatever comes your way on the path to promotion.

Look up the Eisenhower matrix. Separate tasks into important and urgent. This will help you find what you can delegate and what you can eliminate and perhaps taking the important ones you can find tasks that move your projects along.

What does your support network look like? Spend a little time thinking about who you can count on for work-related support. Tell that person outright that you need support and take them out to a meal. Many of us are looking for our networks of support. It can be hard to be the first to take action; do it anyway.

Self-care isn't an avoidance technique. It's infusing joy and aliveness into our day so that we know the reason we are here. Savor the practice you do. Spend time fully attentive to whatever you are engaged in. I love playing music or interacting with children and pets for this. Both music and people pull our attention into the present moment. We can't be multi-tasking or distracted and when that's the case, naturally, we find more enjoyment.

Some self-care practices not only off-load stress but, also improve the quality of coping so that a person's general state is more likely to remain in the lower levels of stress activation. This is important for maintaining positive composure because higher stress levels have a negative impact on attention, emotions, and how we think about situations moment to moment. That is, a highly stressed person will have to struggle to maintain positive thinking and responses. Daily mindful breathing is one of the most effective practices to transform the stress response from negative to positive.