Switzerland - coping with new restrictions and the continuing plague

Have you got the COVID blues? Are you tired and ready to scream? Try my Past, Present Future Model (PPF)to reflect and change your attitude for the better.

As we in Switzerland move into the stronger restrictions laid our yesterday by the Swiss National Council, let’s try and take a deep breath and reflect on what we have and what we can look forward to.  Here’s the model in a nutshell:

Remember the past and be grateful, savor what we have in the present and anticipate the good things the future holds with hope.

Remember

Remember the past and be grateful because being grateful is a key part of being able to cope with life.  

What have I experienced, either recently or a while ago that I can remember and how can it put a smile on my face?  What (tough) experience have I learned from and how am I grateful for the learning? 

For example, I have a savor photo album of all the cool places and good experiences that make me happy.  In it are also photos of friend and family (and pets) that make me smile.

Also, recently a client asked me for a summary of our meetings together and how the client progressed with the different interventions. When I went over my reports and notes again, not only was I able to help her and her remembering, but I realized what a good experience it had been to work together, and what I learned from my client, too.

What three things are you grateful for today?  Write it down.

Savor

Savoring the moment or the experience- is key to keeping a balance in life, especially in tough times. Today, maybe the sky is an awesome blue at the moment, or the ice cream and coffee you are having is really delicious, or the music you are listening to is beautiful, so beautiful you want to cry.  Maybe your cat is purring on your lap.  

Whatever it is, savor it.  Stop and enjoy it. Pause and really consider the enjoyment and relax. Be in this moment. Breathe.  Savor it. Then, you can add a mindfulness activity and really lever savoring up a bit. Finally, look forward:

Expect and hope

Having hopeful expectations for the future is also helpful in coping in times of difficulty.  For example, I am hoping for a COVID vaccine in the next months, for a vacation either in Switzerland or somewhere allowed sometime in the next months, and for a nice Christmas with my family.  I am also hoping for a time in the future when I can hug all my friends. This fills me with hope and positive expectations.

Finally, a few good friends will keep you happier, and healthier- Kelly McGonigal says so in her famous TED Talk about how to make stress your friend.  That means, call or skype or meet up with someone who you love and trust and do something fun together, or have a good chat, or both.

Make a plan and carry it out:

Everyone knows it’s hard to make the changes so I give you these three tips for change:

·      Make a plan

·      Tell a friend for support

·      Fix your environment for positive success (eg: turn off the news until Dec. 15th, or buy treats to enjoy in these next difficult days)

If you want to talk more about the difficulties you are having and how to fix your life for the better, just give me an email.  

Have a positive week!

Patricia Jehle               patricia@jehle-coaching.com