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This week Reb Duke, MA, LPCC shares some great reminders about getting back to the basics as we walk through this COVID-19 season.
Questions for personal reflection or (preferably) discussion with someone else...
- Even if you’ve seen it before, take a look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: https://www.thoughtco.com/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-4582571What stands out to you when you look at it this time?
- What are some of the basic physical and social needs that have been more challenging to meet in this season? What creative ways have you found to adjust?
- If your basic needs are not met it’s hard to do anything else in the hierarchy of needs. What are some very simple things you forget to do sometimes (e.g. drinking water, getting rest, etc.)?
- Things are really hard right now. How can you let yourself off the hook this week from expectations that you should be functioning at 100% right now? Reb talks about holding, “this is really hard” and “I’m going to try” both at the same time. What would holding both of these ideas gently look like for you?
- Reb talks about “riding the waves” of our feelings as they come and go. We can often resist the things that we’re experiencing or feel like they will last forever. What helps you ride the waves of your feelings right now? What might help that you haven’t tried?
- Are there issues that you had before the pandemic that are intensified because of the uncertainty and stress right now? How can you give yourself compassion around these issues?
- Schedule a time to take an intentional break or two from screens this week. Notice how you feel in your body after these breaks. Consider making this a regular practice.
[Mental Health Mondays (brought to you by the Refuge) started in March of 2020 as Colorado began it’s Stay at Home season because of Covid-19. Kathy Escobar and Joanna Douglas recognized the unique mental health challenges that this season was going to create and started interviewing counselors and life coaches for their thoughts on how to sustain this brand-new territory for our Refuge community. As we're buckling in for the long haul together it's good to think through what will sustain us in this time of pandemic. We hope these conversations and discussion questions can be one of the tools in your toolbelt that can help you through. Learn more about The Refuge here: www.therefugeonline.org]
