Wild Times – Keep Your Head Up!

Wild Times – Keep Your Head Up!

By: Marilyn Fettner

We are all in this together. Remember, this will not be our ‘normal’ forever.

Most of us find ourselves and our families hunkering down at home, during these uncertain times. It’s an adjustment to say the least. We are feeling a lot of things: uneasy, stressed, unbalanced and confused.

  • It’s easy to get overwhelmed and become paralyzed in our decision-making.
  • How can we pivot – and use this time as an opportunity to grow, reprioritize, rebalance, and even try something new?

Here are 10 tips to help you stay balanced, decrease stress, and even grow:

  • Limit your daily news intake. Ration the amount of time you spend listening to the news and consider deleting your social media apps – just for a little while.
  • Structure your day. If you’re working from home – and especially if you have children who’re home from school, creating a structure for your day is essential.  A ‘flexible’ structure may be more feasible and can help enhance your productivity and your sanity!
  • Meditate. Even just 5-10 minutes each morning can quiet your mind, improve clarity for enhanced decision-making, and give you a centered start to your day.
  • Get outside! Reconnect with nature, breathe in some fresh air, and get moving with a walk, bike, or run. Getting moving, especially outside, can restore your balance and reduce your stress.
  • Honor the negativity. It exists and at the moment is everywhere. Acknowledge it, without connecting to it.  Take a moment to honor it — what is it trying to teach you?  Then, let it go.  (Every new experience is an opportunity to learn.)
  • Laugh. Turn on a comedy show, read a book, listen to a podcast… and shift your energy. You will immediately feel better, perhaps, even ‘lighter.’
  • Connect. Make a point of connecting to someone each day. Whether it’s a long-lost cousin, or a sibling or schoolmate you haven’t spoken to in way too long, studies have shown that positive connections boost our overall well-being. And they would probably love to hear from you!
  • Enhance your brain. No, really! Learn a new language or start a hobby. Find something interesting to channel your energy and engage your intelligence and creativity.
  • Plan. Use this time to think about next steps in your career and/or your life. If you don’t know your next steps, write down your questions and your ideas. Taking this action is an important start and can give you more control over your life. This is especially important during this temporarily uncertain time.

I look forward to working with you on a customized coaching plan, to help you make important positive changes in your new ‘work from home’ life or for your future planning.

TO SCHEDULE A COMPLIMENTARY 10-MINUTE INTRODUCTORY CALL, OR YOUR FULL 45-MINUTE VIRTUAL CONSULTATION OR FUTURE IN-PERSON MEETING, PLEASE CONTACT MARILYN AT: MARILYN@FETTNERCAREERCONSULTING.COM OR 847-322-8292. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU!