Drop This in Survival Mode (and let’s get together)
Does your work (or life in general) feel overwhelming? I’ve been hearing from a lot of people who are overwhelmed and just trying to keep up with the speed and volume of life, to stay afloat… Some days, I feel it as well, although my FB feed usually doesn’t betray this.
I’ve learned a ton about being in survival mode from my study of clinicians during COVID-19 in NYC, and non-clinicians in crisis situations. Here are some things that seem to happen when we are in survival mode:
-Dropping anything that is not absolutely essential for survival
-Dropping anything that is not working, even if we think it should be working
-Using metaphors to sense the bigger picture, as plain words often fail to describe what’s happening
-Relying on our bodies, not just analysis, to understand what is going on
-Learning as we go.
Survival mode kicks in during crises whether we want it or not: often, there are simply not enough resources to do things differently.
Between work projects, family, friendships, romantic connections, health, personal development, community engagements, household maintenance, it is likely that there is a crisis happening in at least one of these areas, and often – in more than one at a time. This is what a crisis looks like:
-High/increasing speed, volume, complexity, number of decisions
-Constant interruptions
-Many judgments to be made in a gray area
-High stakes
-Failure of established protocols
Sadly, living in survival mode became normalized. If you feel like you’re spending most of your time in survival mode in response to crises, it is understandable and common; it’s not just you. It could be minor crises (like I just “broke” my website, and it will have to stay like this for a while), or major ones – health issues, hunger, homelessness, loneliness…
We could all use a break.
May I offer you my Time, and invite you to join me for a re-charging gathering? Let this be our place of rest and re-energizing, not “one more thing to do”.
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Music of Your Life (FREE group program)
WHEN: Wed. Dec. 15, 2021, at 9:00-10:30 pm EST
WHAT: Let’s talk about using our desires, energy, time and attention to shape our lives. Let’s set an intention for the coming year, and set some energy in motion for it. Let’s think together about what we are looking forward to, and align with it. We can also talk about intuition, managing energy, and getting through uncertainty.
REGISTRATION: http://AlinaBas.com/get-started (under HOLIDAY OFFERS)
COST: Free! We all could use a break. If inspiration moves you, you can make a contribution with a note “MUSIC”, 100% of it will support a great cause – Kids’ Music Education program at a local school. No pressure at all, I’m not keeping tabs, and hope we can spend this time together.
Tune-up: Personal Strategic Planning Session + Support for Kids’ Music Education in Schools
WHEN: Schedule between Nov. 29, 2021, and Feb. 15, 2022. Purchase by Jan. 3, 2022. Limited number of sessions available.
WHAT: An intensive, one-on-one Strategic Planning Session to figure out your next career move or personal strategy; get better results faster in the area of life important to you; practical action plan for addressing your challenge. Includes client notes. Renew, recharge, refocus.
REGISTRATION: http://AlinaBas.com/get-started (under HOLIDAY OFFERS)
COST: $350 (or $300 with a special offer code)
SPECIAL OFFER: Use code MUSIC2022 to save $50, and I will donate additional $50 to Kids’ Music Education program at a local school.
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And since we are on the topic of programs, if you still have 2021 funding left at work for executive development, and it’s “use it or lose it”, let’s put this money to good use for you! Please, send me a quick note if you’d like to discuss the plan.
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NEWS and UPDATES
I recently had a privilege of presenting preliminary results of my research at the Risk, Uncertainty and Decision Making doctoral consortium, which I was hoping to do in person in Madrid, The event happened virtually, but it still felt like being a part of an interesting community.
Early next year, my advisor and I will be presenting a workshop on moving through uncertainty at a leadership forum organized by one of the largest departments in the US Government.
There are also days when we just hang out with the kids and cook a lot. Recently we played tourists in our New York: discovered the Nicholas Roerich museum, and new outdoor installation Citrovia, walked down the Highline and visited Little Island.
Would you, please, share some of your news with me? (I’m at Alina@AlinaBas.com). What have you discovered and re-discovered recently? What’s going well and what could be better?
