Learning to Rise During COVID-19 with Dare to Lead by Dr. Brené Brown

We’re all experiencing a new normal – both in grieving our past lives, prior to February 29, 2020, and in finding a new way forward. The psychological effects of COVID-19 have been devastating for our society.

Since March 1, 2020, our global environment has changed due to COVID-19. CBS anchor Gayle King says, “I feel emotionally drained. I feel spiritually drained. I think a lot of people are feeling this during this time.”

The second order of effects of COVID-19 include disruption of family routine, social distancing, isolation, loneliness, layoffs, job loss, exposure to extreme stress, and moment by moment digestion of knowing that more than 2 million people across the globe have COVID-19 exposures and that there are more than 180,000 deaths globally. These are all anxiety provoking.

Learning resiliency skills during and after a major event such as COVID-19 is not easy. Modern neuroscience tells us that we experience physical, social, and mental threats, all with the same intensity.

However, in this light, our rising skills are ever so imperative. Author Dr. Brené Brown says that gaining skills in rising up enable people to take risks and jump into the vast unknown. Learning to rise is a three-part process: “the reckoning, the rumble and the revolution.” People are emotional beings. When you react emotionally to something, you can move forward by becoming curious about what you feel and why. Tune into your mind and body’s reactions, such as an increased heartbeat, a dry mouth or ruminating thoughts.

Let’s take a closer look at the three steps to Learning to Rise:

  1. The Reckoning: Our reckoning during COVID-19 is being in a situation where our emotions run high. We find that our physiology is taking over our thinking, and logic and behavior are not present. The key to the reckoning is being aware, present, and conscious that something has gotten a hold of you. Next, it’s time to get curious about it. For instance: I’m in a lot of pain, feeling really vulnerable, my stomach is in knots, feeling like I am paralyzed, want to punch something, or I need to get away and run from this situation (freeze, fight, or flight). This step can be hard because most tend to blame others or outside circumstances.
  2. The Rumble: Brown describes how people “offload” emotions onto others instead of reckoning with their feelings. They tamp down their emotional reactions until one small comment or action sparks an out-of-proportion outburst. Or, they get angry, place blame and make excuses. Rumbling is stepping into the story, owning it and taking it to the mat! Rumbling typically includes the story we make up absent of data. Consequently, it’s usually based in fears and insecurities. These evolve into conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories can often contain confabulations. Brown defines this as a lie told honestly. We replace missing information with something false that we believe to be true. This shows up at work when we share what we believe is factual information, but it’s really just our own opinion. Brown encourages us to write our SFD (shxxx first draft) to start an interruption. It’s a simple way to notice your story while being in your story. To put rising skills into practice, start with:
      • “The story I’m telling myself…” or “The story I make up…”
      • Write it down!
      • There are a whole host of follow-up questions that Brown outlines as the Story Rumble process. The most challenging question is: “What more do I need to learn and understand about myself?”
  3. The Revolution: According to Brown, the revolution is all about claiming authorship of our own stories and lives. It’s about taking off the armor and rumbling with vulnerability, living in our values, braving trust with open hearts and learning to rise!

As we move to gain control of our lives through building, deepening, and strengthening our resiliency skills, we practice mental endurance and model resilient behaviors for our communities and families. By doing that we embrace Daring Leadership. I Dare You to Lead.
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Terri L. Williams
Senior Consultant, Corporate Class, Inc.
Dare to Lead Certified Facilitator

5 Tips to Help You Stay Present During a Time of Uncertainty

By Corporate Class Inc.

Have you ever heard the saying “don’t let the future steal your present?”

It can be challenging to do, especially during times of uncertainty. The COVID-19 crisis has many of us worried about a number of factors like our health or the health of our loved ones, financial commitments, and our jobs…just to name a few.  Our minds can easily get distracted by worrying or feeling anxious about things that we “think may happen” in the future. This impacts our overall mental and emotional well-being and our ability to make effective decisions in the present, which will help our future. The following tips make it easier how to stay in the present moment and to use it and enjoy it fully.

Try these five tips to help you stay in present moment: ⠀

1. Conduct a “What if?” detox

The words “What if?” can be very powerful and can often lead to creating your own narratives about what may happen in the future. Most worries, anxieties, and fears start with “What if…?”. What if I catch the COVID-19 virus? What if I fall very ill? What if I lose my job? What if I can’t pay my rent? What if the economy does not recover?  If not properly harnessed, all of these “What if’s?” can destroy your confidence and ability to stay present.

Try replacing “What if” with “I can” or “I will”, to help you stay focused on what you can control.  For example: “I will practice social distancing and wash my hands regularly to mitigate the risk of me becoming ill.”

2. Practice Mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness means being more in tune with your thoughts and emotions and recognizing what your body needs. Focusing on your breath will draw you back to the present moment.  This allows you to more effectively communicate whatyou are thinking and how you are feeling with others, which helps minimize your anxious thoughts. Listen to what your body is telling you and give it what it needs. If it is feeling run down, rest.  Maybe you need fresh air or a glass of water.

3. Minimize News and Social Media

During a crisis, it’s important to stay informed on what’s happening in the news; however, it can be easy to become completely consumed.  When you check social media or listen to news first thing in the day it becomes a lot harder to concentrate on anything andit’s harder to not be dragged into a negative loop. Limit the amount of time you’re spending watching the news and scrolling on social media. Give yourself limited time slots during the day to check-in. ⠀⠀

4. Feed the Senses⠀

Focusing on your five senses can be one of the best tools to bring you back to the now. If you find your mind wandering, take control of your thoughts by asking yourself: What do I hear? Taste? Feel? See? Smell? This helps take you away from ruminating and reminds you that what matters most is what’s happening right at this moment.

5. Create a Reminder⠀

Creating a reminder for yourself can give you the nudge you need to get back to the present moment. You can use sticky notes, screensavers, set an alarm on your phone, or a picture of something that grounds you and helps bring you back to the present moment.

Get Present. Pause. Connect.

Wherever you are be all there. ~ Jim Elliot