Fraying at the edges?
How you know and what to do when you are fraying at the edges. So my awesome resetyourorg partner said “you should write a blog on that” and I said “#&*£ no! Please not another thing to add to my to do list!”. Well that was a sign…
If you’re usually energizing. If you’re usually full of life. If you’re usually able to see straight through to the wood, disregarding the trees and you help others do that. If you are fraying at the edges right now, like many leaders, you may be suffering from pandemic fatigue.
One more shout of ‘snnnaaacck!’ from downstairs where my poor child is working. One more ‘where’s lunch’, while I’m trying to perfect our new learning program for middle managers. One more ‘I can’t do question 2 on adding multiple fractions with different denominators’…. While I’m in
the middle of a critical scheme of work. One more ‘Can you get that to me by tomorrow?’ ‘Can you meet on Saturday’, ‘Where’s the negotiating skills workshops outline for the management team’ one more ‘what are we going to do about…’ and the fraying at the edges feeling may turn into a total
unravelling.
Yet it won’t.
Why not? How come? What’s the secret? Sorry, there’s not a magic formula here that works for all.
I wound up seeing myself as strong – but that doesn’t help because that’s just a surface mantra. I’ve reconciled it with myself to it being OK to be weak at times some time ago. Through transformational leadership I’ve discovered there are all ways of being accessible to me that help me deal with what’s happening in life.
There’s a combination of factors that could well help. Accepting that the overload is a way of thinking – natural, human, a deeply embedded neural pathway that many return to in times of stress – and it’s just what’s going on for me internally. What’s out there is all just about manageable when
it’s documented and prioritized.
“How do you eat an elephant?
“One bite at a time…”
By the way, that probably won’t help if you’re feeling like the elephant has got you by the throat. Have some self-compassion – this overwhelm is natural, it’s been a long year and it’s OK to feel frayed. No need to compare myself with others.
Couple this with having compassion for others in your life at home
and at work.
Accept the frame of mind you are in with compassion and then move on. Making concrete plans for the future, whatever that may be. Planning in planning time – getting into action. Hold onto creating a better and different future.
So, how to help you and others get through pandemic fatigue?
- Accept your thoughts but don’t let them grip you
- Have self-compassion and compassion for others
- Plan for a better and different future
This may help you hang onto your resolve – we’re closer to the end. Writing this blog has been cathartic plus I am focusing on what works.
So all of these techniques are personally helping me. What’s working for you?
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