How Coaching Can Help you Navigate the "New Normal"
Photo by Julian Wan, from Unsplash
COVID-19 has created a roller coaster of devastating change in a short time frame. People have lost their loved ones, livelihood, and security. In the midst of these changes caused by the pandemic, we are seeing a wave of people standing up to say “no!” to the recent killings of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks and the many who came before them. In so many ways, we are going through a surge of change.
As local and state governments lift stay-at-home orders, employees face another bout of change as they begin to phase back to their workplace.
How can coaching help you navigate the “new normal” ?
When I first heard the “new normal” in reference to COVID-19, I felt irritated. It seemed to be a catchy phrase conjured up by the media to galvanize people into watching or reading the news. I was also curious, and started researching and thinking about the “new normal”.
According to Wikipedia, the “new normal” is a business term that refers to financial conditions. The term originated in the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2007-2008 and the 2008-2012 global recession. COVID-19 has caused a resurgence of this term worldwide. The current “new normal” is our response to a health, economic, and social crisis. We are shifting thinking and behavior at warp speed. Social distancing, working remotely, businesses reopening, new health protocols, work space reconfiguration, new routines, extra family time, more time alone, and the list goes on.
I’ve felt stress thinking off and on about the magnitude of change and uncertainty involving COVID-19, coupled with recent police brutality incidents and mass protests that have followed. I have spiraled through a mixture of emotions - sadness, fear, anger, and hopelessness. Can you relate to my experience?
Although the pandemic will be with us for awhile, we don’t have to face it alone. Here are a few things coaching can do to help you navigate the “new normal”.
Create Your “New Normal”
As you begin to reengage in society, I encourage you to take time to contemplate and create your “new normal “. You don’t have to succumb to what the news cycle states about the “new normal”. You have a say in what the “new normal” will look like for you. Coaching helps you in this process. A coach listens, asks thought-provoking questions, and makes intuitive observations to help you uncover limited beliefs and define your “new normal”.
What are your limited beliefs about the “new normal”? How do you want to define your “new normal”?
When COVID-19 started, I had a doom-and-gloom belief. I felt panic and drive to get everything done before the state I reside in locked down to combat the pandemic. My thoughts were full of to do lists and worries. As the “new normal” has set in, my perspective has changed. COVID-19 presents an opportunity for a new beginning. It has become my humble trek of new growth. That scared child still sits inside me. Yet, I have hope, determination, and courage bordering an inner knowing that I and the world will survive.
Practice Presence
COVID-19 presents a huge question mark. How long will the pandemic last? Will a resurgence of the virus will occur? Will we have to go back into a lockdown? These uncertainties can cause us to feel stress as we step into the “new normal”. If you find that you’re worrying about the future, the practice of presence (or mindfulness) is an invitation to intentionally focus your attention in the present moment. Coaching helps you practice presence and build resilience as you negotiate the “new normal”. A coach models presence by being fully present with you in coaching sessions. A coach focuses on your demeanor and energy. A coach listens deeply to the nuance of conversation - what you say, how it’s said, and what you don’t say. A coach encourages you to pause and focus on your breath, thoughts, feelings, and body. This helps you become more calm and present to the moment. A coach asks introspective questions during sessions and suggests actions after sessions to help you gain self-awareness and help you be deliberate about practicing presence at work and home.
How present are you in the “new normal”? What will you do to practice being present?
I feel a heightened inner vulnerability in the “new normal”. I monitor an array of thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. Some are comfortable and many are uncomfortable. Resilience (the ability to adapt to change and “bounce back” from challenge) lies at the heart of the practice of presence. One moment I am present to my breath, and then the next moment I become self-absorbed in my work to- do lists and worries. Yet, I find success in the discipline of keeping myself engaged in the practice of presence. I take mindful micro-breaks throughout the day to help me stay present to what is happening inside me and around me. These breaks include meditation, breathing techniques, movement exercises, and body scanning. These presence practices are refreshing and enriching. They don’t require a lot of time. However, they do require a lot of patience, self-compassion, and self-discipline.
Photo by Motoki Tonn, from Unsplash
Photo by Andrew Neel, from Unsplash
Devise a Self-Care Plan
We must adjust as we start living the “new normal”. A self-care plan is important to maintaining equilibrium at work and home. A self-care plan is a strategic tool to care for yourself. It is a GPS that helps you stay on course in the good and bad times. It is an act of self-compassion.
A self-care plan contains different aspects of your life, such as work, family community, hobbies, health, and relationships. A self-care plan also includes activities and strategies to contribute to your well-being. Coaching helps you develop and sustain a self-care plan to support your vision for your “new normal”. A coach invites you to explore your values.
What is significant to your inner core, irrespective of life’s circumstances? What do you love? What rejuvenates and refreshes you?
A coach offers you assessments and introspective questions to help you become more conscious of your values and how to apply them at work and in life. A coach aids you in constructing a self-care plan that mirrors what you value. A coach helps you strategize to overcome barriers that stymie your plan. A coach holds you accountable to stick to your plan. A coach facilitates your ability to monitor and shift your plan.
What must you have to be fulfilled at work and in life during the “new normal”? How will your self-care plan support your well-being?
When COVID-19 first began, I quickly devised my self-care plan. I felt a sense of relief knowing that I had a plan in my back pocket that I could look at frequently to help me weather the crisis. My plan placed a lot of emphasis on my values of spirituality, personal/professional growth, health, and leisure. These values are key to my ability to enjoy my work and personal life. My plan was full of several activities to live each of my values. It also incorporated presence practices. I looked at my plan daily for a few weeks. Then, life happened and I lost traction. I became consumed with my work, family, and health. I experienced many challenges - learning how to use different virtual platforms, more virtual meetings, tighter work deadlines, caring for my daughters, and coping with a structural fracture in my right foot and tendonitis in both hands due to computer overuse.
A self-care plan is not meant to be written in stone. It is self-proclamation that is subject to change based on your personal needs. I recently reviewed my self-care plan. It was tucked away in a file. I reflected on how I lost track of my self-care plan and the reasons I didn’t follow through with it. I realized that I didn’t keep my self-care plan in plain view so that I could monitor my progress and alter it as I adapted to COVID-19. I also didn’t list out strategies to conduct my activities and move through barriers to my plan. I assumed that I could keep those strategies in my head. Last, I didn’t have an accountability partner to make sure I followed through with my plan. I had a false belief that I could “go it alone” since I am a professional certified coach that knows how to plan and be accountable. It is important to humbly share your self-care plan with at least one person. Let them help you be accountable and care for yourself. With these new insights in hand, I am currently developing a new self-care plan to help me wade through the “new normal”.
Photo by Jonathan Borba, from Unsplash
As COVID-19 continues to evolve, we must evolve with it. The “new normal” brings with it plenty of uncertainties. Yet, it also carries new opportunities. We possess the capacity to change our perspective and respond positively to the pandemic. Creating your “new normal”, practicing presence, and devising a self-care plan are three ways coaching can support you in navigating the “new normal” as you transition back to the workplace and as you adapt at home.