The so-called „self-efficacy“ helped me as a hostage to stay strong and not remain in the role of a victim. By taking action, I felt powerful instead of at the mercy of others. The feeling of being able to act alone increased my inner resilience (Resilience) and helped me to survive my hostage situation in the Philippines unscathed.
My abduction in 2000 was amazingly similar to the current pandemic: trapped in a threatening situation from which we cannot escape. That's why my „jungle strategies“ for inner strength work just as well here and now as they did in the jungle back then.
What is self-efficacy and how can you train it? More on this at the end of this article. But let's start with the question of how we can free ourselves internally from being held hostage.
The victim role as a mental risk
I still remember that powerless hostage feeling: we felt dejected, crouched on the jungle floor and waited for our release. Inwardly and outwardly, we were in the typical victim position, with our shoulders slumped. This makes everything even worse, because this attitude alone puts you in a negative state.
Many people are currently eagerly awaiting their vaccination date. The exhaustion after months of freedom restrictions and the fear of a corona infection are so great that there is even something like „vaccine envy“. The situation is tense. People are eagerly awaiting their vaccination date and the freedom they long for.
But beware: if you just wait, you become a victim! Because as soon as their own fate depends solely on external circumstances, people feel powerless and at the mercy of others. If you remain in this passive victim role for too long, you risk losing your confidence and inner strength.
Self-efficacy through action instead of waiting
In crises: act instead of wait and see! Not possible? No way! We may not always be able to escape our fate. But we can ALWAYS do something to improve it, at least a little. And a little is often enough.
In the jungle, we sat in captivity for weeks, on the ground, at best on coconuts. Almost all the hostages had back pain. Then a unique opportunity presented itself: a few wooden slats, a hammer and a saw. I started to build a chair to improve our living conditions. With an unexpectedly positive side effect, as it turned out later.
The coronavirus pandemic has also made us hostages to a certain extent. We cannot escape the global restrictions. But we can do much more than wait for a vaccination appointment! If you are afraid of a serious coronavirus infection, you can actively protect yourself against it. Yes, you can, very effectively in fact, and it has been proven!
A healthy intestinal flora or 30 minutes Movement per day measurably reduces the likelihood of a serious infection. So it's better to move than to sit around. It's better to eat a healthy diet than chips and cola on the sofa. Alcohol and tobacco consumption has increased significantly since coronavirus. And yet this crisis presents a particular opportunity: smokers belong to the coronavirus risk group - so this is THE opportunity to to stop smoking!
Mental strength through self-efficacy
The chair in the jungle massively improved our prison conditions. We were finally able to sit upright and lean against it. What a physical relief! Even more important, however, was the mental effect: the moment I picked up the saw, I felt the effect of so-called „self-efficacy“. Instead of feeling powerless, I felt „self-efficacious“. I could actually do something to change my situation for the better. The feeling of being able to act alone moved me from a powerless victim to the role of active creator.
Don't wait for your freedom, a vaccination date or the end of the pandemic. Act now! Ultimately, it doesn't matter what you do. The main thing is that you do it! In this way, you can increase your self-efficacy and strengthen your inner resilience.
Read here how you can strengthen your self-efficacy, not just in times of coronavirus.
(An excerpt from the SPIEGEL bestseller „Strong through crises“)
Self-efficacy: How to get out of the victim role and into action
In crises and stressful times, it is worth its weight in gold to overcome the feeling of powerlessness, trust in your own ability to cope with the situation and start to become effective yourself. Canadian psychologist Albert Bandura's concept of self-efficacy refers to the subjective expectation of being able to cope with challenging situations on one's own. People who are optimistic about their ability to cope with life, i.e. who believe in themselves, approach challenges more optimistically and actively and show greater stamina than people who have less confidence in their own abilities. As a result, self-efficacious people have been shown to suffer less from depression, burnout symptoms or pain and cope better with traumatic life events than people with less confidence in their own abilities.
Self-efficacy develops in the very first months of life, for example when babies recognize that their parents are coming when they cry or that a rattle makes a noise when they shake it. They learn that they can make a difference with their actions. But adults can also develop their self-efficacy in relatively simple ways. Here are some ways that you can easily implement in your everyday life:
- Learn from your personal experience:
The more often you experience that you can influence and improve your situation with your own actions, the stronger your confidence in your own abilities will become. Set yourself small, realistic sub-goals - for example a short endurance run instead of a marathon - and be proud of having achieved success through your own efforts. This will increase your motivation to take on the next challenge. - Look for role models:
It is best to look for confidants who are similar to you in character and are in a similar life situation so that you can identify with them. Follow their example in the sense of: If my friend succeeds in quitting smoking, then I can do it too! You can easily practice this so-called model learning in your everyday life. - Let us encourage you:
Encouragement from family or friends has a positive effect on your self-efficacy. Positive encouragement and confidence in yourself („You can do it!“) motivates you to take action. If you manage to pass a challenge such as an exam, for example, you strengthen your confidence in your own abilities. - Interpret your body messages positively:
The way we interpret physical sensations has a major influence on our self-efficacy. If you're sweating before an exam, you're not saying „Oh no, I'm excited with fear of failure“, but „Great, my body is running at full power and ready to go“. - My personal tip in emergencies:
Help other people! The helper role is a very rewarding role, as you can achieve something meaningful in the situation and draw strength from it. You are not only helping other people, but also yourself at the same time.