A Key Skill You Need During Challenging Times
How is it going over there my friends?
Just like all of you in the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic, I vacillate between optimism, rabbit-hole information consumption, Facetime sessions with family and friends and dark moments of overwhelm and concern. But here is the thing I realized on Saturday… it’s all about the REBOUND. Yes, the REBOUND.
The idea that any one of us is maintaining any constant positive emotional state or certain level of productivity is a crock. That isn’t what it means to be human. And it sure isn’t what human experience looks like in unprecedented times with no playbook.
What matters is how we rebound – and I mean again and again. This might look like bouncing back from one moment to the next. Other times it could look like day to day. It is incredible, really, how capable we are of being down in the dumps one moment and then taking self-care actions to REBOUND. I’m hearing examples of this constantly from clients and friends right now as we all find our way through living through Coronavirus.
It’s not about maintaining…it’s about knowing how to bounce back. This will serve you immensely in the coming months.
So, how do you rebound?
YOU GET INTERESTED IN YOURSELF.
YOU GET CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED RIGHT IN THE VERY MOMENT.
YOU LISTEN MORE CAREFULLY.
YOU GIVE YOURSELF GOBS OF PERMISSION TO SHOW UP JUST AS YOU ARE.
AND, YOU TAKE ACTION.
That last part is a clincher.
On Saturday, I hit a low. I had been clipping along at a pretty solid pace of productivity and actionable steps all week. See, I am resilent as all hell. I have faced huge challenges in my life so I’ve built up some muscles for unprecedented shit. But on Saturday my productivity and mental state shifted in a dramatic way.
It included feeling weepy (telling my kiddo it was about having just lost our 15 year old dog), but really it was a negative spiral of worry around my family’s wellbeing and security…around our whole world. I went in the bathroom, closed the door and cried into my hands. I felt overwhelmed and also experienced waves of feeling unable to know for sure if we will be able to protect our family and just coming to terms with the real limits of what can be done. I let the tears come and then I wiped my face and washed my hands (for the thousandth time).
I came out of the bathroom and made my favorite tea; I took a shower, and got dressed. Next, I opened all the windows in the house that I possibly could and I blasted Elton John. I hugged my people and we went for a walk. My mind shifted. That was my REBOUND. That is what it looked like.
This ain’t glamourous stuff my friends. This is about showing up for ourselves - staying in tune with our feelings, not numbing out (too much), and sinking into our deeper knowing of what we each need to move through our experiences.
I would be honored to hear any of the ways in which you are rebounding and showing up for yourself. Feel free to share in the comments or to email me here.
Remember, every rebound is different. Some can happen in minutes. Others take days. Stay in tune with yourself and your community. Sometimes we need support from others to rebound – so lean into each other right now.
USE TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT CONNECTION.
USE OLD FASHIONED LETTER WRITING TO SUPPORT CONNECTION.
USE MUSIC, DANCE, ART, WORDS; WHATEVER YOU’VE GOT.
