A friend of mine objected to the term "social distancing" and started referring to it as "spatial distancing," a habit that I've picked up. I am not unique in the degree to which I am connecting virtually with more collaborators, friends, and family than even a month ago. So much so that I'm having to pace myself a little! Because I have worked virtually for so long, a number of these conversations have begun as a request for help in the rapid transition to Zoom and other virtual platforms. It is my belief that we can use this moment in time to have conversations instead of just meetings, and I have been quickly learning a number of strategies and tools to deepen those connections that are happening across the 6 feet, 6 miles, or 600 miles that separate us. More on that in future missives. These focused more technical conversations have frequently led to deeper dialogues about what matters most to us right now, how do we want to take care of ourselves and others during the pandemic, how do we want to show up for people (our colleagues, our employees, our friends), and how can we get better at asking for help when we need it. In those moments where together we have been able to rise above the current crisis and look to the future, it gets even more interesting. What lessons are we learning today that we want to remember in three months about how we want to live our lives, and the possibilities for doing business differently? How can we commit to sustained change in our organizational, family, and community culture? What can we start doing today to support those future-focused conversations?
If you have the basics covered, have a little extra time and space right now to contemplate these and other big questions, and are interested in taking action now to set yourself up for the changes you seek down the road, email me and let's find a time to talk. If you don't, you are not alone, and please take care. In the coming weeks, I will use this space to share what I'm learning and doing to support myself and others. I'll include both short term strategies, tools, and resources for connecting and collaborating during the time of coronavirus, as well as thoughts on the deeper questions about innovation, disruptive thinking, and culture change. Be well, be safe, and please stay in touch. Deb
Resources for Covering the Basics
The basics: take care of your physical, mental, and social health. In particular, a lot of people are struggling right now understandably with anxiety, depression, insomnia, and other mental health-related concerns. It's understandable, and fairly universal right now.
A few resources I've learned about to help my clients and friends are listed here - I am not a mental health practitioner, so please take them in the spirit in which they are offered. I have struggled with these things, and here are some resources that have helped me or have been recommended by people I know and trust. Please let me know if you're aware of other resources.
Virtual Mental Health Resources
Psychology Today: a lot of counselors and therapists are now offering virtual sessions. You can find state-by-state and some international listings on this website.
TalkSpace is an online program that connects people with therapists, and supports both virtual live sessions and messaging.
Trusst App is another app that connects you with qualified therapists virtually.
Mindfulness & Meditation
There are a number of apps with guided meditations. My favorite is Insightly Timer, followed closely by Ten Percent.
Yoga can be helpful too - I confess to having a bit of a love-hate relationship with yoga that I'm trying to get over. Lots of yoga studios are offering virtual yoga classes, and a number of apps have virtual sessions. Down Dog is one that was recently recommended to me.
Can't Sleep? I know a lot of people, myself included, are experiencing insomnia. Here are a few things short of medication that have worked for me.
The podcast, Nothing Much Happens: Bed-Time Stories for Grownups, has been almost failsafe for me.
The practice Yoga Nidra can be useful. There are lots of places where you can find this as a guided meditation. Here is one that a friend recommended.
The Sleep Foundation has an article focused on sleep hygiene which may be useful.