3 Steps to Stay Grounded Amidst the Chaos

How are you doing? 

Are you staying sane?

If you've been finding it hard to strike a balance between staying informed and not getting lost in the news, by being a responsible citizen and carrying on with life in some form, you are not alone. 

I want to share a couple tips to stay grounded amidst the current chaos.

These are the techniques I go back to again and again, whether I'm working with clients, or trying to slow down my own racing mind. 

Try out these 3 tips and let me know what works for you:
 

1. Visualize a calmer time 

When I work with clients on a presentation, I ask them to picture themselves in a place where they feel calm. 

You might be standing in front of a room full of people, a computer screen of colleagues, or a TV full of gloom and doom, but if you change your mental picture, you can change the way you feel. 

Instead of watching the news 24-7 (all covid-19 all the time), I encourage you to picture your favorite vacation spot, hiking trail, beach – a place where you feel calm and grounded in your life. 

When you find yourself going down the rabbit hole of worst-case scenarios, go back to this picture. 

2. Breathe

Plant your feet on the floor, place your hands on your abdomen and take a big deep breath. 

Putting your hands on your abdomen helps you breathe  from your diaphragm, the exact place you want to activate when you're giving a presentation.

3. Focus on Gratitude  

I will admit that I haven't done the best job of staying calm the past week but I got a helpful reality check on  Friday.

I was on a group call with Ilise Benun from The Marketing Mentor and she started by saying "if you're on this call, you are one of the lucky ones." 

It was the reminder I needed and you can check it out here. 

Sure, there are many unknowns and things to adjust to, but I'm grateful to be healthy right now.

It reminded me of a gratitude practice that I picked up from Brené Brown years ago and how much better I feel when I focus on gratitude.

It's something I've recommended to many clients and it's called TGIF.

You journal on the following prompts:

T- Something you're trusting 

G- Something you're grateful for 

I- Something you're inspired by

F- Something you're practicing faith in

Fridays (and every day) might look different in the age of Coronavirus but I find journaling incredibly calming, both a place to work out my fears and place to be thankful for all the good in my life. 

I'd love to hear your TGIF.

If you’re looking for tips to speak clearly and concisely and lead your team through crisis, I can help.

Reach out to me madeline@madelineschwarz.