How To Thrive In The Peace Corps: Cultivating Happiness Amidst Challenges
Even during training, the Peace Corps tells all volunteers they are going to have high points and low points. If you look a the graph of "The Cycle of Vulnerability and Adjustment", there is still a good chunk 'below the line'. So, what can we do to shorten or lessen the time we are vulnerable? In his article "Cultivating Everyday Happiness: 3 Simple But Powerful Practices," Peter Economy points out 3 ways to practice happiness. Not only will this help in the 'low' times, but might even make the good times even better.
1. Keep Going and Be Patient
Back in the US, we might be used to 'immediate' results. We don't like to wait. We want it now! But as a Peace Corps volunteer living in a developing country, that life is like the polar opposite. It doesn't mean things won't happen, it just means that the time frame is different. We can't give up. We just have to have patience to keep inching our way to the goals we and our community have set.
2. Laugh at the Small Things
I can't think of a more stressful situation than that of a Peace Corps volunteer. And it's not just for a moment, it's a 24/7 kind of thing. But the one thing that always has helped me reduce that stress has to be, laughing (or even smiling). Seriously, when something 'bad' happens, you can either get upset or laugh - even at yourself. Try it and you'll see.
3. Enjoy Life's Surprises
Peace Corps service is the embodiment of the "unexpected" in almost every aspect of our daily lives. The secret to not letting the unexpected get to you is to not hold on too tight to our expectations. If we almost expect the unexpected, we might experience things we never would have imagined. So, start writing plans in 'pencil' instead of 'pen' and see what happens.
Look, I don't have all the answers. I have bad days just like you. But following practices like this can help - and I speak from experience. Smile, laugh, go with the flow, and your 'happiness quotient' will definitely go up. And then you don't have to worry so much about that 'cycle of vulnerability and adjustment'.
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Reference: Cultivating Everyday Happiness: 3 Simple But Powerful Practices