Welcome to the “new normal” 5 tips to help cope with the unknown and embrace changes
2020 has had an incredibly startling start with major events jolting many to a standstill. We were reminded of the frailty of life and indiscriminate nature of death with the loss of Kobe Bryant. We’ve seen a global pandemic take the magic out of Disney, remove the fun from Vegas casinos, and quiet Times Square in the city that never sleeps. We’ve seen the stock market, after record highs, fall to record lows within days. Many of us have been forced from our places of employment to the confines of our homes while attempting to perform remote work and juggle home schooling activities. We’re seeing shortages and the rationing of food and supplies at local grocery stores and we’re sifting through information and misinformation in an effort to stay connected and aware. Many of us are embracing a survival modality while we hold our breaths and wait for things to return to normal. However, what if there is no normal to return to? What if this is the new normal? There is no doubt that the adjustments many have had to make around the world changes not only how we do business with one another, but how we connect to one another as a whole. From web conferences to virtual DJ’s and happy hours, we are being forced to not only realign how we interact with friends and family, but also how we manage ourselves internally from a mental and physical health perspective. Here are 5 tips to help cope with the unknown and embrace change.
- Take time to self-reflect. Whether that means yoga, meditation, a long walk, or journaling, it’s important in this time to be connected with your mental and emotional state. Recent events have had a jarring effect on many leaving you with a feeling of breathlessness. Being able to confront these feelings and how they manifest themselves whether that be through anxiety or avoidance is important to maintaining your overall mental health.
- Document the experience and its impact. I mentioned journaling in the previous example as a means to take inventory of your thoughts/feelings, but journaling can also serve as a means for documentation. Times like there are unprecedented and it’s important to document the many changes you are experiencing. Again, things may never return to “normal” as you knew it and being able to compare the old normal to the new normal will certainly have value down the line.
- Take care of your body. Due to the coronavirus gyms are shut down in an effort to enforce social distancing. That’s no reason why you should become complicit in becoming a couch potato. Maintaining your physical health is going to have a direct impact on maintaining your mental health. There are a multitude of home workout routines you can perform without equipment on Youtube and Instagram!
- Learn a new skill. Now is as good a time as ever to pick up a book, watch a webinar, or purchase a course. It also helps to either establish or keep routine around something productive. Your new skill might give you a huge advantage as things settle around the new normal.
- Socialize. We humans are social creatures and require socialization. Social distancing doesn’t have to mean no contact. There are a host of video messaging platforms that you can use to stay connected to friends and family. Talking with different people experiencing the same thing might give you perspective as to how someone else perceives things. Maybe you work from home and someone you know was laid off. Maybe you’re living single and alone and someone else can’t get any alone time because of their family. It helps to share experiences and offer another support.
The biggest barrier to acceptance is holding on too tight to the way things were. It’s important to be realistic in our approach to coping and navigating this new space. Now more than ever is it important to develop emotional intelligence and implement positive thinking.
Rahkim Sabree is a Connecticut based hybrid-entrepreneur with nearly 10 years experience in Banking, a 2x author, and a non-profit co-founder. He is active on Instagram/twitter @RahkimSabree. Visit his website at RahkimSabree.com where you can find his book “Financially Irresponsible.”
