REDIRECTING one’s perspective to positive things can help one cope with the stresses Covid-19 has brought upon lives and businesses.

According to Jonathan Yabut, a multi-awarded marketer and human resource professional with over 15 years of experience in Southeast Asia, grounding can help an individual refocus his thoughts to things that matter to him the most.

“When you try to ground yourself in understanding the things you are able to be thankful for, you refocus that anxiety to the things you have with you,” he said during a Mandaue Business Month webinar hosted by the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Yabut encouraged business owners and employees that in times of pandemic, one should try to create a network beyond the people they already know.

“You are reinforcing the same thing you already know if you don’t (reconnect). Expand more. Befriend or connect to people you knew five years ago,” he said.

Yabut, who was also the winner of hit Asian reality TV show “Apprentice Asia,” said individuals should stretch themselves more to things.

“You’ll realize that the universe is way much bigger. That’s how you’ll become more resilient. The technical definition of creativity is summoning one experience from the past and combining it with another experience from the past,” he said.

Yabut explained that the more people experience language, culture, cuisine, people, personalities, bad and good things, the more they can predict what will happen to them, and know how to deal with it if it is against their objectives and ambition in life.

“You’re facing challenges right now. What do I get from it? What do I learn from it? It’s a failure but it’s not your failure. It’s charge to experience. Practical tip is when you wake up in the morning, apply the gratitude exercise, count the first three things you’re grateful for,” he added.

Yabut said when people become complacent and comfortable with the things they have, they end up thinking that the problems they have are perhaps the biggest problems in the universe.

“I disagree. Your definition of what a big problem is, is a small problem to another person and vice versa. We all have our ways with coping. Ground yourself to planet Earth,” he said. (JOB)