LM October 2020_lg

This is all of us. So, how do you deal with this temporary reality? It begins with self-care. There may be people in your life who are good at recognizing when you need to be taken care of, but there are steps I have learned over the years that you can take daily to help cope with life’s difficult moments. The steps come in no particular order of application as I believe they are equally important.

1 2 step step

step step 3 4

Take Time for You Everyday. Choose a healthy activity or distraction. But it has to be your choice. The activity should not be related directly to projects you are working on, and it should be something fun. Eat, Sleep and Exercise. What is as important to the “what” in this step is the regularity with which you do these pieces. Choose your foods wisely, in reasonable portions, and at regular intervals through the day. Sleep between 7–9 hours a day, but more importantly: get up at a regular time and go to bed at a regular time each day. Exercise, or at least move with purpose, for at least 30 minutes a day. Your body responds well to routines and through disciplined practice, which will keep you alert and healthy during this time.

Meditate. You strengthen your body through the prior step and this activity strengthens your mind. I did not practice this until I had the good fortune of learning from Dr. Sandye Brown; a professional coach who co-leads Coaching for Leaders with Dr. Nancy Blair through an annual IASA professional development course. Each session, Dr. Brown would lower the lights and lead us through an exercise designed to relax your mind and focus on your breathing alone. Currently, I use an app on my phone called Calm that leads this exercise for me very well. Express Gratitude. There are people in your lives that have been the difference to you. When was the last time you told them this? The act of expressing thanks to others is a powerful model to others who may also adopt “an attitude of gratitude.” It can lead to forgiveness and greater joy in your work. However, it should be shared in some detail. For example, there is a big difference between…“Hey, thanks!”...and...“I appreciate the time you spent working with me to get the project to the final stage. We make a great team!”

In addition, the IASA Wellness team, a subcommittee of the COVID-19 Transition Team, has been put together to help each of you cope with the negative stress in your lives that you are experiencing now. One of the resources I found that has been helpful is from Jenn David-Lang; the editor of The Main Idea. In a series entitled “Leading in Disruptive Times,” she has assembled the 4 “Cs” of Change: Calm and Comfort, Communication, Connection, and Coping with Stress. I have been using my Twitter platform, @jonbartelt, to send out an idea each day from Coping with Stress for the benefit of all our colleagues. You can review her Coping with Stress strategies right here in their entirety.

continued...

15 LM October 2020