You are not alone

Daily we hear (and feel) how lack of human interaction forced by COVID-19 is causing isolation and loneliness.  As social beings, humans like company, shaking hands, hugging, touching. Zoom fatigue has set in, exposing limitations of technology. We realise human interaction is necessary for collaboration, productivity and good working relationships. 

Pile on top of this the grief for those that have passed away, financial hardship, political uncertainty, the exhaustion of trying to keep head above water – it is no wonder that our mental health is fragile.

Recognising this, the World Health Organisation has compiled a deceptively simple and accessible stress management guide, Doing What Matters in Times of Stress. The guide was developed by top international health practitioners to support people in difficult circumstances, ranging from personal difficulties, problems at work or major threats in communities.

At the outset the guide reassures: “You are not alone.”

It struck me that the practical skills in the guide mirror much of what coaching also provides. Principally, the coaching process supports you to engage with your current reality and to create an alternative, positive future through goal setting and focussed action.   

This guide has five sections, each containing an easy to learn technique. As coaching also shows, practising and applying ideas are key to making new ways of doing and new habits stick.   

1: Grounding

Ground yourself during “emotional storms” by noticing thoughts and feelings, slowing down and connecting with your body by slowly pushing your feet into the floor, stretching and breathing, and then refocusing and engaging with the world around you.

2: Unhooking

“Unhook” by noticing – with curiosity – the difficult thought or feeling;  silently name it and, finally, refocus your full attention on what you are doing.

Grounding and unhooking should be practised often.

3: Acting on your Values

You can choose the values most important to you. Pick one small way to act on these values in the next week. Tiny actions matter!

4: Be Kind

Notice pain in yourself and others and respond with kindness. “If you are kind to yourself you will have more energy to help others.”

5: Making Room

Pushing away difficult thoughts and feelings does not work. Make room for them. Allow the painful feeling or thought to come and go like the weather. “As you breathe, imagine your breath flowing into and around your pain to make room for it. Instead of fighting with the thought or feeling, allow it to move through you, just like the weather moves through the sky. If you are not fighting with the weather, then you will have more time and energy to engage with the world around you and do things that are important to you”.

The WHO guide concludes: “Even in the face of tremendous adversity, you can find meaning, purpose and vitality in your life.”

Citation. Doing what matters in times of stress: an illustrated guide. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO

#tinyactionsmatter #mentalhealth #zoomfatigue #youarenotalone