During and Post Covid: People would rather not have a difficult conversation with a longtime friend and risk ending the relationship because they lack conflict management skills and people seem unwilling to try proven, “alternative” methods for self-healing because of their own prejudices about what “doesn’t work for me or where it came from.” The first one could fill a PhD dissertation by itself. Since we don’t have time for that here, let’s look at the later.
Almost twenty years in the business and it pains me to watch most supposed “adult” organizations (meaning places of work run by people older than 18) don’t want to address the direct line connection between wellness, the mental health of the “average” employee, and revenue.
Next, remember to consider that before professionals arrived at the office, no one taught them in K-12 or college how to self-heal. It’s just not something we do. If we did, the “alternative” “weird” practices of the Eastern Hemisphere, for example, wouldn’t seem so strange to try as an adult. Now we have diverse companies with staggering numbers of professionals who have neither the necessary conflict management competencies nor ability to self-heal. Now we are all together with emotions, money, and high stakes on the line…all the time. I stink at math but this does not sound like it adds up. (Free resource to quantify how much your organization is losing because of these issues: www.conflictcalculator.com)
Then, most people are too busy…I get it, I was too at one point in my life. Didn’t have time for that foolish meditation stuff. It didn’t work for me. Guess what. If meditation, sound bowls, reiki, and other proven forms of self-healing don’t “work for you” then you might be the next candidate “to do what you think you cannot” –E. Roosevelt. Turns out, I was…and with all the knowledge, experience, education…it was these simple steps that led me back to having an individualized way to find balance, recover when thrown off course, better handle unexpected news and find more joy in life. Stop kicking the can of anger, anxiety, frustration, jealousy, and a host of other issues that we as humans deal with…you have to do the work.
We cannot allow ourselves or our loved ones, to suffer without trying something different to ease the discomfort. There is no amount of rationalization that we can share or accept when it comes to nonsensical, JV, mental excuses getting in the way of real healing methods, no matter what they are. If we continue to deny the importance of self-healing to create balance and become the best version of ourselves, what will happen to every generation that comes next…a little less? If we continue to deny its impact on business, what comes next…less revenue or support of healthy, productive, well-balanced high school and college graduates?
We can do more to help ourselves and others as an organization, as a leader, and as a professional colleague. Try something new. Get back to basics. Nature. Eliminate social media for a few days. Meditate for a few minutes, or just breathe. Tap a sound bowl…actually they are really enjoyable to 90% of people I introduce to the practice (I am a novice with the Tibetan Sound Bowls but love them). We have to get “over ourselves” and the awkwardness many people feel when they consider options like these. Remember, on the other side of discomfort is comfort. Feel better and be more successful, make more money, save more money, help more people…watch all boats rise and put your own scuba mask on first…then you can help others…even if they are not willing or able to themselves.
Much love,
Dave
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