Connecting During a Time of Distancing
Amanda Wright
These are tough times, and as we've been called on to create physical distance between ourselves and others, I've been thinking a lot about the gift of human connection and its impact on my work as a coach.
Since starting my coaching practice seven years ago, I’ve had the privilege of working with people from all over the country and globe. When possible, I always enjoy meeting with my clients in-person, but in reality, the coaching relationships I’ve forged with numerous clients over the phone and video conferencing have been equally powerful and have made me a true believer in the boundless power of human connection.
Despite the physical and temporal distance separating many of us at this time, it’s been acutely important to me to keep honoring our shared connections so I’ve put together this list of resources that have resonated with me during these challenging times. True to my holistic coaching approach, you'll see that the selection below is diverse and speaks to different parts of my mind and heart. I hope you find value in them too.
Saboteurs and the Coronavirus: As the world wrestles with this pandemic, the atmosphere seems rife with fear … a perfect breeding ground for our saboteurs to appear and multiply. On several recent occasions, I’ve noticed how my Hyper-Vigilant saboteur and my Martyr saboteur like to take turns taunting me as I attempt to navigate these uncharted waters of family quarantine. Thankfully, during this time, I’ve also been participating in a Positive Intelligence training program for coaches offered by Shirzad Chamine. In addition to developing this free saboteur assessment you might find interesting, in response to the current conditions, Shirzad shared this short video on how to handle one’s own self-sabotage during the coronavirus pandemic.
HBR, “That Discomfort Your Feeling Is Grief:” This piece, which appeared in the Harvard Business Review last week, offers a unique perspective on the myriad of emotions many of us are experiencing in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Here, David Kessler, the world’s foremost expert on grief, shares why it’s important to acknowledge the grief you may be feeling, how to manage it, and offers hope as to how we may ultimately find meaning in it. You can read the article by clicking here.
Brené Brown’s New Podcast: For those who have enjoyed Brene’ Brown’s TED Talks and books as much as I have, she now has a new podcast, “Unlocking Us,” which she describes as “real unpolished, honest and reflects both the magic and the messiness of what it means to be human.” After listening to the first episode on “FFTs,” (hint: F---ing First Times) and her powerful interview with Glennon Doyle, I can assure you that Brene Brown’s straightforward, funny and heart-felt approach to this podcast will not disappoint.
Creative Inspiration: Recently, as I’ve struggled to find grounding, I’ve found myself drawn to a number of performers - from all different artistic backgrounds - who have been coming forward to share their gifts with the public in the spirit of solidarity and connection. One of the most powerful examples I’ve come across is captured in this video of twenty Dutch musicians from the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra who were forced to stay sequestered in their homes amidst COVID-19 shutdowns but still came together in harmony to produce a classic you will not want to miss. (make sure you have closed captioning on so you can see the translation of what they are saying).