I’m very proud to announce that on Friday, February 19, after meeting the academic and experiential requirements, I’ve been confirmed as a Certified Business Psychologist.
This has been years in the making (with tons of amazing support from family and friends) and I see some (more) Veuve Clicquot coming my way in the near future!!
While some problems persist, the shock is over.
There is no reason to continue with any pity parties or overt self-indulgence.
Now is the time to buck up.
What exactly does “buck up” mean? Well, it is a phrase from 1800s England taking the word for a male elk or deer to imply courage. It is usually said from Person A to Person B to nudge Person B into moving from inaction to action. It is akin to “grin and bear it” but not quite so harsh. It is a direct statement to use one’s personal strength to get through a problem by, essentially, “getting on with it”.
So, from this Person A to you Person B, buck up and move forward. Set a goal to complete something this week, especially related to work (whether you have any right now or not). Plan something (based on what you know right now) for 3 months from now. Lay the foundation about something that will unfold over the next 6 months.
Turn off Netflix. Turn on action.
More importantly, it is absolutely possible to “buck up” oneself and not wait for the external reminder.
Action – For the next 15 minutes, brainstorm in writing all the things you have achieved in the last 5 years. It doesn’t matter of those things are work related or personal. They don’t have to be “massive” achievements – just things you did that you thought perhaps you could not do, or could not do well. Or maybe things that set you back and you ploughed through to keep moving forward. Or maybe attitudes you shifted. Or people you helped.
Let your rewriting be free-flow. Don’t censor or hold back. Just go for it. If it takes longer, great. Keep writing.
Then ask a friend, partner or spouse to add to the list.
You see, resilience comes from your ability to remember who you are and what you are capable of, particularly in times you thought were overwhelming. I can guarantee that while current circumstances might feel “unprecedented”, you have actually come through this before, just in a different context. Remember that time and you will not only come through this time, but will do so with flying colors.
I’ve had a ton of emails come in from people who are sharing their thoughts and opinions on the current situation regarding Covid-19. That’s understandable – people are saying things out loud which, for most of us (myself included) helps us work through our feelings and figure out our stance on something.
But I’ve not seen many people talk about what they are actually doing. So I wanted to take a quick moment to share with you how I’m responding to the situation.
1. I’m preparing for a new normal
I’m hearing people say “when things get back to normal”. Well, it is reasonable to believe that our way of being pre-Covid will not return. Not in the exact same way anyway. So, I’m positioning my work and my personal life for a new normal.
Together with my husband, we are revamping retirement plans, financial goals and long term planning for the family. We are tweaking our plans for holidays this summer and are looking at the things that matter most to us, as individuals and as a couple. And for myself, I’m spending a lot more time on self-care and self-development (more on that in a moment).
Regarding work, I’m having more enquiries for the “therapy” side of my Business Psychology expertise. My 1-1 work is mostly with solopreneurs on building their business but other folks, from all walks and communities, have contacted me about “mindset mastery”. They want to know how to be more psychologically resilient, flexible and adaptable. They want new coping strategies and are recognizing the power of perspective, especially with the notion of “control”.
So, here are a few things I’m preparing for when things get to their new normal:
2. I’m creating new content specifically to address how businesses are shifting in light of Covid-19
Watch for more on this in the coming weeks
3. I’m learning new things
Lifelong learning has always been a big passion of mine. No matter what is happening in my business, I always dedicate weekly and/or monthly time to learning something new, both directly related to my work and also just for the fun of it. Given the bits of extra time I’ve got right now, I’m dedicating specific time to learning something brand new. Plus, this is going to be a new normal of mine. Instead of randomly giving time to it, I’m cutting out a full morning every week. No work, no family – just me and learning.
4. I’m giving back to my business community
In my own way, I’m sharing ideas, advice and guidance that I’ve learned over the years. While of course I’ve never dealt with a health pandemic before, my 20+ year business (and 15+ year career before that) has seen tremendous ups and downs caused by recession, market flips, my moving country and restarting, the bottom falling out of a particular market and so on.
(Hint – a key thing to remember for yourself right now is that you have also seen these times before. The big difference between then and now is that it is happening to all of us at the same time, en masse, rather than to individuals or businesses one at a time, quietly in the corner of a community).
So I’m spending a lot of time right now connecting with the greater community, hosting webinars and online seminars and offering parts of my TMC content for little or no fee to companies, organizations and communities who ask for it.
So, that’s how I’m responding to things.
Action – Now, I’d like to hear from you. How are you responding to the current situation? I’d really like to know. Leave a comment below or send me an email (nancy@nancymorris.com)
Quickly search Google and you will find a plethora of academic and pundit posts on why people are panic buying and/or extremely anxious about Covid-19. I’m being asked lots of questions from clients and buddies so I thought I’d make a quick post.
First, let me say I am not a doctor and do not know all the details of the virus itself. So, I’m not going there except to say “get your information from the local and national health authorities, not social media”. One would think that is a known fact. However, most of us want fast and easy info, so we watch the Twitter or Facebook feeds roll past. What would be more helpful to your state of mind is to click a little further and look at the data.
The psychology of panic can be summed up in one word. No, not “fear” although that is one of the results of the word.
The word is “control”. Or, perhaps in this case, “lack of control”. Or more accurately, “perceived lack of control”.
Of course, you cannot control the virus. No matter what you do, you might still get it. And that is one of the things the back of your brain recognizes you have no control over. Nor do you have control over the health of your family, the duration of your job, the ups and downs of the economy, what might happen to food and water supplies etc etc etc. So you can’t control any of it.
Most of us want to feel in control, and the moment we don’t feel in control, our stress levels go up. And just to add insult to injury, “stress occurs when perceived demand exceeds perceived ability to cope”. Note the repeated word.
So, you can’t control this thing that could possibly kill you or someone you love. That is nothing new. You can’t control some of the basics of your surroundings. That is nothing new. You can’t control what’s happening in the rest of your neighborhood, community or country. Again, that is nothing new. Until now, you have just told yourself (falsely but hopefully) that you have more control than you actually do.
So, among other things, Covid-19 is reminding you that you have no control of anything outside the fuzz on your skin. In part, this explains why every roll of toilet paper is flying off shelves – we can control that purchase. We can get “that” hand sanitizer. We can buy a bunch of cans of beans before everyone else does. We can pad the nest. We can control that.
“Oh but wait, now the store shelves are running out and I don’t know if the delivery truck drivers will all get sick, or the factory workers will all get sick or the factories will run out of their supplies and … and … and …. I must have control so I will drive 40 miles to a small town to buy toilet paper. I can control that. I am controlling that. I am succeeding at that.” Until everyone else gets the same idea.
And so on.
You also know, and perhaps just need to be reminded today, that you are able to control the story line in your head – in other words, your perception of the situation.
You can succeed and calm yourself down through your thoughts and personal actions, such as deep breathing, meditation, watching funny films, reading a great book, having a relaxing chat with your partner or friend about “other things”, spending extra time with a favorite hobby or even just hanging out with the pets. All of these things are in your control.
You have faced very (very) stressful situations before and come out the other side – maybe a bit bumped and bruised, but you are here.
You can succeed at self-awareness. You can succeed at controlling self.
Years ago, while standing in Heathrow airport waiting for my return flight to Canada after years away in the UK, I spotted a book on the shelf of a store. Long story short, I was anxious about my return to Canada after being away for so long and wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. The city I was travelling to was one I’d never stepped into before, knew no one and, ya, I was pretty stressed. My perceptions (story lines) were all over the place … full of angst and fear. So, I read the whole book in my seven hour flight and one single sentence from it has stuck with me all these years:
I don’t know, let’s find out.
The book was “Embracing Uncertainty” by Dr. Susan Jeffers.
That one phrase took my brain from fear and anxiety to curiosity (which is a state the brain loves to be in). We are naturally curious beings and, when piqued, curiosity can shift us away from fear (especially the unnecessary kind that is driven by an “I’m out of control” story line).
I remained vigilant to my new surroundings from a ‘present moment’ time frame and I became focused on making mindful decisions. I wasn’t foolhardy about the situation I was in yet I wasn’t foolish with my attitudes and actions. And I did this from the part of my brain that doesn’t panic – the same powerful part young children have an abundance of every time you put a box down in front of them.
That one phrase – I don’t know, let’s find out – reminded me that I have faced uncertainty hundreds if not thousands of times and have survived by engaging the power of my thoughts.
Of course coronavirus is not the same as moving country, but when it comes to your brain’s stress response to the story line you are playing in your head, yes it is. You can control your thoughts about coronavirus just like you can about most things.
I’m not saying that anyone should disregard advice from medical professionals and just walk around saying “oh ya, I don’t care, let’s shake hands.” I’m talking about being mindful of your mind. I’m talking about taking control back to the place it belongs – inside your head.
Stop giving your power away and start using it to be curious, careful, engaged and present in this moment.
What’s going to happen with this Covid-19 situation? I don’t know, let’s find out.
(Try this out for yourself. Sit quietly for a moment or two. Then allow yourself to feel some of the anxiety you’ve been feeling. If not about the virus, your anxiety could be due to something else, so go ahead and get in touch with that feeling. Think of that situation and ask yourself “what is going to happen?” Pause and reply “I don’t know, let’s find out.” Then check in with yourself – do you feel any shift at all toward curiosity or calm? You might not the first or second time, so do it again. It is such a simple phrase yet it can be so powerful.)
I’ve been in this type of work (personal and professional development) for 20 years and yet it never ceases to amaze me how frequently I learn a new lesson.
Well, let me rephrase that. I am relearning old lessons.
No doubt the same is true for you. In fact, I often hear from people phrases like “I thought I’d gotten past that limiting belief” or “why does this keep showing up”.
I don’t actually have the space here to parse out all the psychological theories and research that has gone on over the years about “old lessons”. So, I’ll try to summarize some of the thoughts on the subject.
Action – In a nutshell then, next time you hear yourself berate yourself about some old lesson you “should” have known, remember:
a. You are in a continuous state of growth and regrowth; there isn’t a destination
b. Your brain doesn’t always give you accurate information
c. You are harder on yourself than you would be on anyone else, and that is completely unnecessary (and is a learned behavior too)
d. You will be learning lessons all your life, thank goodness!! Be a willing student.
(Something tells me you know all this already LOL)
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