Do you know the best way to ride your rollercoaster?
Randy Wolken, President & CEO

If you are like me, you get to ride the daily rollercoaster of challenges and emotions. This is generally true, but now it is more intense than ever. COVID-19 puts so many of us into new territory. Learning how we navigate this roller coaster daily is critical to our mental health and physical wellbeing.

I am sure that I am like most people when I say that I am feeling the weight of this crisis. Like most, I am worried about my family and friends, my organization, our community, our country, and the world. That occupies a lot of mind space. I have to work hard to make sure I free my mind up to work effectively. I want to be available for those I care so much about. I’d guess you are experiencing the very same thing. So, what do we do about it?

In less challenging times, I would seek solutions and move forward doing the best I could. It was, or at least seemed to be, a simpler time. The number of moving parts was less. Or were they? I am not so sure they were – but I just imagined they were. Life has always been complicated, and it will always be. What I get to do consistently is determine my response. This is the real secret to good mental health and physical wellbeing.

The only thing that is mine is my response. Is my response appropriate to the need in this situation? The other component I have control over is how I show up in each moment. When I am rested and prepared, I can show up better able to deal with the issues at hand. I do still have the ability to determine my response to all that is happening.

For me, this is where my values come into play. What do I value, and what do I want my life to be? Can I stay true to who I am despite what confronts me today? Will I support others in the processes they use to remain whole and functioning? Can I serve others and do it while staying healthy and productive?  These are the questions I am using to clarify how I will proceed through this challenging time.

I share this to help you develop your strategy for navigating this time. We all have a different shape to our daily rollercoasters. We each need our plan to proceed. It can help to clarify our strategy, share ours with others, and assist them in finding their approaches. Doing so allows us all to survive and begin to thrive in the future.