How are you coping right now?
The world still feels a bit, well…strange doesn’t it. On the one hand, things feel almost “normal” again. As I write this, I’m sitting in one of my favourite cafés, drinking a lovely cup of tea. I’m hooked up to the WiFi, Take That’s playing on the radio and there’s a steady stream of customers coming in and out. No one would know we’ve just come through (and some still argue in the middle of) a global crisis. Except we do know.
People I see, for the most part, are still wearing masks. They’re observing physical distancing. There’s antibac at entrances. And, at the same time, many are back to commuting, returning to the office. Some are excited, some are not. The world is the same, but different. It makes sense if you’re feeling uncertain, confused, even overwhelmed.
Here’s what might help:
This week, maybe set the intention to Lean, Talk, Ask. If you’re feeling obligated but anxious to return to a workplace, it helps to “lean in” to how you feel and call it what it is. If you think it would help, you could have a chat with your manager and let them know how they can help you return to work safely; some organisations have implemented different coloured lanyards so people know whether you’re ok with hugs and handshakes, or not. Others have created “hybrid” working giving people agency to make good decisions about whether they should work at home or not (where that’s possible). Talk about what would help and ask for what you need.
It also helps to look at your coping mechanisms, and how we can easily fall into those that don’t work for us long term, whether we’re consumed with work or something else. Over the last couple of years we may have reached for the cookie jar once too often, or sunk a glass of wine without it touching the sides. That doesn’t make you wrong, it just highlights that we’ve all been trying to survive in ways that we then maybe relied on too much.
The good news is that we can change those ways, and again it starts with “leaning in” – recognising when you’re not ok. This article suggest ways to cope with change. It includes asking yourself questions like:
- If I take this option, what are the benefits?
- If I don’t take this path, what will I lose?
All the while remembering that your success rate at surviving so far is 100%; you’re genuinely doing just fine.
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Copyright Delphi Ellis 2021
Helping You Sparkle™ 