What is Your "AQ" Score During COVID-19?
Take a short quiz and assess how you are adapting during adversity and how to improve!
By Karla Hardin, MS LPC
By Karla Hardin, MS LPC
Take this short quiz to determine your how adaptable you are during adversity: https://prepareyourlegacy.com/adversity-response-profile/
You have probably heard the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”. But did you know there is a test that businesses use to actually assess how tough you are?
Some people believe a person’s AQ is the key determinant of success and winning in life.
This does not mean that EQ and IQ are irrelevant; but AQ – (Adversity/Adaptability Quotient) measures resilience in the face of stressful situations and a world of rapid changes.
In the workplace, in business, in personal life when one faces difficulties yet fights the problem courageously and moves ahead, he is considered a person with good AQ.
If you are like me you have secretly thought, how much more of this can I take? I want my life and routine back! I want my friends and extracurricular activities back! We are finding ourselves forced to look within and reassess what it is going to take to keep walking this unknown season.
So, what does it take to have a strong AQ? How can I strengthen mine if it is weak?
When I think of RESILIENCE, I think of “going the distance”. So that immediately tells me that I need a different strategy than that of a sprint. Different muscles are needed, food needs are more specific, and it is a totally different mental game.
To win any race, the best plan is thorough and holistic.
We believe this from the very life of Jesus who was said to be growing simultaneously in all areas of His life: physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. (Luke 2:52)
To make it for the long haul and withstand adversity, we must be aware and seek support in all four areas –physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.
So, I want to give you a simple acronym to help you recognize and avoid getting depleted …which could result in not making it for the long haul.
H.A.L.T.
has been part of addiction treatment protocols for years as it addresses the importance of a holistic approach to help people make it through the hard and long process of recovery.
It addresses 3 of the 4 dimensions of who we are at a very basic level.
H = Don’ t let yourself get too hungry.
In other words, you need basic fuel for your body and without nutrition your resolve and resistance will be down. (Physical circle)
A = Don’t let yourself get too angry.
Anger that is out of bounds is reactive and it usually hurts others. When we get overly angry, we usually feel and act as though we are out of control. When facing adversity and unknown it is so important to feel in control of ourselves. (Emotional circle)
L = Don’t let yourself get too lonely.
We all need others to do life with. We need support, help and encouragement. This is challenging for a lot of us during this pandemic. It definitely calls for creativity but commit to finding a supportive person/people in your life.
T = don’t get too tired.
I’ve heard the saying, “Exhaustion makes cowards of us all” and I totally believe it. When we are facing so much unknown, we need to allow for the fact that we are spending more energy than normal just fighting back fear. Make sure you are getting enough sleep. (Reboots all circles)
In addition,
I want to offer one more critical ingredient to increasing your AQ that I believe is the defining difference between those who gut their way through trials and those who actually become a better person as a result of them.
HOPE
…is the North star for navigating through life’s greatest challenges.
Hope is found in the Spiritual circle of our lives.
The spiritual circle looks to a greater person, cause or belief outside of ourselves for meaning, purpose, and power when we are lacking in all.
As a Christian, I am personally trusting in the one true God of the bible, who is beyond time and space and who in His holiness never judges unfairly nor waivers in mercy and grace. I truly recognize that believing in the power of self is not enough in any area of my life to offer a hope that never disappoints. I need someone bigger than me to trust in.
The author of Hebrews understood the challenge of facing adversity for the long-haul and directed us to the lifegiving perspective you and I would need to face every kind of trial.
Hebrews 12:1-3 says,
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.”
TO SUM IT UP…
For you and I to navigate these uncertain times and not lose our center we must find our hope in God alone.
That is what Jesus himself did. He looked beyond this temporal world and looked at the joys awaiting Him in heaven. His view of the Father allowed Him to endure the greatest suffering we can imagine – an underserved cruel death.
He is to be our model.
He wants us to realize there is more than this world to live for. This is what gave Him the strength to not give up when He was weighted down beyond His strength.
With the spiritual circle being where hope is found, this pandemic is the perfect time to ask yourself, “What do I believe about God and life beyond the here and now?”
My simple formula to increase your AQ?
Determine to anchor in your spiritual circle and then care for all other parts of yourself for a winning strategy to face any and all adversity in your life!
Karla Hardin is a Licensed Professional Counselor at Passionate Living Counseling and Trauma Specialist for Hardin Life Resources
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