So, happy 2022. I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted, and I don’t have a lot of excuses to back me up. I’ve been busy, return to work in the office pretty much 4-5 days a week. There’s a little exhaustion in that but I know my productivity is stellar.
I wanted to follow up on my streams with some of the content we shared because there’s always something worth passing along.
Today we talked about resilience. I tried to anchor it in the present situation, knowing that traumatic events vary wildly from person to person and can be triggering. I asked folks to think about the pandemic and how it is a low-flying mass traumatic event. Our lives have been upturned, issues with racism filled our lives, the difficult election cycle, and so many other issues became front of mind.
We talked about how traumatic events impact our behavior, emotions, and cognition. We discussed the ways in which we become desensitized and numb to our emotions when are constantly on alert or in self-protection mode. I found this list:
EMOTIONAL
Shock
Sadness
Denial
Generalized anxiety
Anger
Intensified emotional reactions
Despair
Depression
COGNITIVE
Confusion
Poor concentration
Blaming someone
Change in alertness
Difficulties in decision making
BEHAVIORAL
Change in activity
Change in speech
Withdrawal
Angry outbursts
Disrupted sleep
Changes in communication and or interaction with others
Increase or decrease in food consumption
Increase in alcohol or drug use
Increased physical / somatic complaints
Changes in overall health
(Claremont EAP, 2021)
After reading each section to the group, I asked folks to share if they had that experience as it relates to the pandemic, and many indeed recognized some of the symptoms of crisis.
We came up with a homework assignment to create our own self-care plan, and many shared what they do when things get dark. Something interesting came up about being resilient - that those who are resilient often have better outcomes. Relating this to folks who are in the career search, it can be really difficult to get rejected over and over, but somehow resilient folks roll with it and keep going.
We wrapped up talking about recognizing the signs of stress, being able to recognize when you are in distress and focusing on things you can control. Breathing was shared as an exercise that would help you walk back stress in the moment.
K, promise to not be away from you too long next time.
Cheers,
ARLO