Tuesday, March 31, 2020 – Philip Dodd
I have been working with CliftonStrengths for over 10 years and it falls under my job responsibilities on campus. For those who are not familiar, this is an online assessment that provides insight into personal patterns of thought and/or behavior. In other words, it helps us see what we’re good at doing… ideally unique strengths that we bring to our daily life.
I have been thinking lately about how my strengths look different now that I’m working remotely. Most of my Top 5 strengths focus on building relationships. I prefer collaborating on teams and focusing on the people that my work serves. But how I do that has changed in isolation!
Drastically.
I want to explore two of my strengths and how I am adapting them to the current crisis.
Empathy. I think of this as my emotional radar. There are times (extreme but real) that I can channel the emotions people are feeling. This strength helps me better understand perspectives and motivations.
Can we talk about how emotional this crisis is for literally the entire world? Granted some people have yet to understand the severity… but people are dying, losing jobs, separated from loved ones. Hurting.
My empathy can overload me at a time like this. So right now I am limiting the amount of news I read and watch. I am finding ways to navigate my own emotions (like therapy, blogging, talking to friends, or online courses like the Science of Well-Being). These practices are important all the time. Right now, they are crucial for me.
Positivity. I use this to find the silver lining in situations. Enthusiasm and optimism come more naturally to my mind. I try to smile, laugh and find humor wherever I can.
Now I could write for days on how someone with Positivity deals with depression. Or maybe how someone with depression deals with Positivity! I am not currently depressed (though that is something I live with), but I admit, it is difficult to find the silver lining in this crisis. There are SO many challenges, SO much heartache… fear, death, blame, denial.
How do we stay positive during this? Should we/can we stay positive during this?
My plan: I acknowledge the complexity and brutal repercussions of the virus. I put energy into focusing on my daily life. I recognize what is going well that I can control. I remind myself that we, as human beings, can adapt to many things. As I gain more confident footing, I expand that circle beyond my own daily life. This hasn’t been easy (see empathy above). But I take it day by day.
I hope to continue exploring my other strengths during remote life. If you notice how you are adapting your own strengths, please share by commenting below.