Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine MOMENTUM May 2020 | Page 20

SELF-CARE DEBBIE SIMMONS CEO/Founder Anchor Point [email protected] | www.anchorpoint.us Dealing with the Craziness of COVID-19 M any of us have found our world turned upside down over the last several weeks. Everywhere I turn, someone is thrown into something new – homeschooling kids, financial upheaval, loss of a job, working from home, sickness or death, loss of freedom and opportunities -- the list goes on. What are we to make of all of this? What are we to do? To be honest, our pre-COVID-19 lives were often times overwhelming. This new scenario is not only overwhelming but potentially devastating. What can we do to figure out how to not only survive but ultimately thrive through COVID-19? How can we help ourselves and those that are counting on us? Here are a few thoughts to help us: • BREATHE! Don’t panic or react immediately when facing a situation. Research has shown that if we will just take a deep breath before making a decision, comment or action, we can generally avoid making a knee jerk reaction. Our initial response is often an emotional one, whereas our response after a breath is a logical one. So take a minute – take a good deep long breath!! 18 MOMENTUM • Determine your end game. What is it that you are trying to do? What goal are you trying to reach? What hurdle are you trying to overcome? Identify your goal. If we know our goal, we can make a list of short steps to get us there. Just take your first step and focus on getting it done. Once done, take a minute to celebrate and then hone in on step two. Before you know it, you will reach your goal! During this pandemic, our goal might be to survive tomorrow. During crisis, our goals are generally shorter focused as we need to get through the day to day, so don’t worry about getting your kids through college and married – focus on getting them successfully through a day! • Find a rhythm. Pre-COVID-19, we knew what to expect each day and felt pretty secure. We have lost that security and rhythm. Without it, you will go crazy and life will drag you around. This is especially true if you have children. Write out a schedule for the day, perhaps even an hourly one. The kids should help write it and it includes school, chores, reading, free play and something fun. You and the kids agree and off you go – set a timer for an hour and tackle the activity set for that time. As they get used to this schedule, your kids will learn to love it and the freedom of knowing what is coming. For you, it will create order and sanity to help you accomplish all the other things you need to do. • Take care of you. We are no good to anyone if we are stressed out and worn out. Look for ways to find 15 uninterrupted minutes each day to decompress, or do a favorite activity. It may take a little planning but you will be better for it, and you will be a better caretaker for those around you. COVID-19 will pass and we will move through this. Sometimes we just need to be reminded that together, we can get through this.