Miles Adcox, with Onsite Treatment facility, I believe has the most accurate definition of trauma – it’s anything outside your normal ability to feel secure. Well with that definition most if not all of us have experienced trauma in 2020. How would you know? To explore deeper this idea one or more of the follow is present:
- The event was UNEXPECTED and you have no precedent for it. I don’t think ANY of us saw this one coming.
- It cause intense emotions – it’s DRAMATIC.
- The event is ISOLATING.
- Final, you have NO RESOURCES OR STRATEGIES to navigate it.
In an attempt to assist all of us navigate our new way of being and lead our teams, business partners and families here are some helpful strategies.
- We must NORMALIZE what people are experiencing. Doesn’t mean we are experiencing the same thing AND we can validate others and let them know they are not alone.
- Realize at some level we are all EXPERIENCING GRIEF. We’ve lost not only families and loved ones to COVID, we’ve lost our way of business, working and living our lives. We are meant to connect with others and now the norm is 6-feet apart. For the most accepted model of grief you can explore Kubler- Ross.
- Understand that from a neurosciences perspective – when we encounter uncertainty – and let’s be honest – in this year of 2020, the dial for uncertainty has been cranked up to a maximum level – our brains experience the uncertainty as an error message. We need to practice mindfulness to calm down the central nervous system that will allow us to reset the error message.
- Finally, this is a perfect time in which the idea of putting your oxygen mask on FIRST is critical. We can’t give what we don’t have. We must take care of ourselves so we can support and lead others.
We will get through this. We will never be able to go back to the way our lives were prior to COVID and we can embrace the joy, hope and love of a bright future.