Five Things I Have Learned During a Crisis
The world has been in upheaval lately. This has affected me and my job as I have been dealing with world events and their effects on the members of my organization that I oversee. There have also been a few individual crises of our members that have coincided with this general time of unrest. I have been running on adrenaline for almost two months. At times I felt exhausted and overwhelmed, unmotivated, and on the verge of giving up. Things are finally getting back to normal-ish and I am able to have more breathing room. I am now able to take stock of what has worked well and helped me through this difficult time. I hope these tips are useful for you, too.
1. Figure out your main focus – You can’t do all the things, no matter how much you think you need to or want to. In the recent crisis I was dealing with, I was suddenly inundated with requests for assistance and information. It quickly became too much for me to handle on my own, even though I was one of the main decision-makers. I had to step back for a few moments and really process what needed to be my top priority. Once that was decided, it was easier to make decisions, and help me do the other things on this list.
2. Prioritize - It is easy to get bogged down in the many things that can come up in a crisis. Now that you know what your focus is, you can prioritize your tasks. This may have to be done again after each task is completed because things tend to shift and change during a crisis. You need to remain flexible. It also helps to be laser-focused on only one thing at a time. Set a timer if need be and limit distractions.
3. Delegate other tasks - It’s ok to rely on others. You can’t do it all alone. Once I know my focus, I can decide who needs to be responsible for other things related to the crisis or even my normal tasks. This also makes the myriad requests easier to handle. I can let people know what I am focusing on and who I have assigned to take care of other things. This helps to balance the load and lets me concentrate on what I need to do. I found this to be a huge stress relief. Being able to tell people who to go to for certain needs took the strain off me. It was a great reminder that I am not alone, and I have others who are willing to carry some of the burdens.
4. Let go of regular to-do’s – You will need to let go of some things. This goes along with prioritizing. During a crisis, it is difficult to maintain your normal duties. Some things will need to be put off until things calm down a bit. It’s ok. People will understand. You can only do so much. This also goes for household chores. I ordered out a lot more because I didn’t have the energy to plan meals and cook. I only did the bare minimum of housekeeping and laundry.
5. Self-care – I know I have put this as the last thing, but it should be at the top of all our lists. Helping yourself is important if you are going to help others. Take a walk, listen to your favorite music, process with a trusted friend. Give yourself a break from the intensity even if it is just a few minutes. A big part of this is getting enough sleep and eating as healthy as you can. You need your own tank filled before you can pour out to those who need you. It is important to not run out of steam along the way.
The crisis will last only for a season, but you need to be able to continue long after that. When things start to slow down and get back to normal-ish, take time for yourself. Refresh. Regroup. Slowly start to pick up the things you had to let go of for a while. It may take some time to get back up to speed and that is ok. You don’t have to catch up immediately. Ease into it.
This is not an exhaustive list. But it is a good reminder to not go headfirst into a crisis. Take a beat and follow this list to help set you up for the journey. These things were so helpful during the most hectic part of the crisis. They helped me be the best I could be for the people I oversee. I hope they will be a help to you too.
This post was centered on the theme of FIVE. Please follow the links below to read other posts related to the word FIVE written by fellow Hope*Writers.
5 Messages of Hope in a Topsy Turvy World by Sharla Hallett
https://sharlahallett.com/5-messages-of-hope-in-a-topsy-turvy-world/
Five Steps to Becoming a More Technically Savvy Boomer by Regina Marcazzo-Skarka
Five Good Things to Do for Your Soul in May by Dianne Vielhuber
https://simplewordsoffaith.com/2022/05/01/need-to-fill-my-soul-this-spring/
Five Favorite Foods to Grow in Small Spaces by Jessica Haberman
https://storytellerfarm.com/five-favorite-foods-to-grow-in-small-spaces/
5 Parenting Tips for Hard Times by Ashley Olivine