When you are treading water to save your life, other priorities in your life may seem rather insignificant. That is what living amidst a pandemic and civil unrest feels like for many people right now. Treading water. Nothing else matters but survival.
The challenge in treading water for an extended period of time is, well, of course, fatigue. That is what this blog is all about: not giving in to pandemic fatigue, but maintaining pandemic resilience as much as possible. Practicing pandemic resilience helps you continue that metaphorical treading water strategy, as well as contributing to your overall well-being.
Another challenge in focusing on survival, and only survival, is that we tend to lose our focus on our values. I get it, if you are trying to tread water to avoid drowning, your other values don't really matter. Of course not. Your values don't matter if you are not alive.What I am talking about, though, is once you have been treading water for a wall (metaphorically), if you have also been practicing some of the strategies I have outlined in this blog series, you are likely to be building a reserve, however small it might be, which helps you gain strength instead of fatigue.
As you are building strength and accumulating reserves in your pandemic resilience 'fuel tank', you may be able to take a less myopic view of the world, stepping back a little to see the larger picture, even if it is only brief. After all, you ARE still treading water. In those brief moments, research suggests it would be beneficial to reconnect with your values or priorities. What is it that is most important to you when you are not hyper-vigilant on survival as your main task of the day/week/month? What are your big picture goals, and how can you implement them in those brief moments when you can relax while treading water?
Today's post will give you some resources to think again about those values or priorities, and help you find ways to reconnect with them while 'treading water'. They can actually help you tread better, more effectively, and feel more control and satisfaction in the treading water.
I have added a file here that you can use as an exercise in reconnecting with your values (file and its contents shared from www.positivepsychology.com). Before we get to that, though, I would like to share a list of some values with you, as a way of focusing your attention on the scientific definition of 'values'. Reading this list might help you visualize your own values, too. Here we go:
Achievement. Adventure. Acceptance. Altruism. Beauty. Courage. Friendship. Happiness. Justice. Peace. Personal Growth. Wealth. Wisdom.
Feel free to download the file below, and work through it at your own pace, privately. It may seem silly for some, at first. But really think about the list at the end before you dive into the exercise. What are your values? How can you use them right now to help build a reserve of energy, purpose, and hope that you can and will get past the 'treading water' stage? Some of this may seem unrealistic when you are worried about eviction, unemployment, civil unrest, and health right now. But trust me, thinking about these things will help you work through those worries with a new focus on what is and what is not important, and how you can use your values to drive your day to day 'treading water' experiences. It will be worth it.
We are all struggling in our own ways. Myself included. I took the time to do this exercise before I started this post today, and it did help me think about how I am treading water. Give it a try. Research suggests it can help. And I trust the research, like any scientist would.
Be well, stay safe, and take care.
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