Collaborative Connections E8

During Collaborative Connections E8 a conversation that consisted of speaking to triggers, trauma, reframing, silver linings, the transition of what could be to come, personal and professional experiences, and more much-needed topics.

The current situation we are living in is full of uncertainty, unknown futures, and specifically what lies ahead for the world. This pandemic, COVID-19, has caused pain, worry, loss, stress, and all sorts of tensions. These human feelings are valid but what do we do with these emotions? No one has all the answers, but we can take this as an opportunity to grow, share, support, take much-needed rest, and focus on aspects that may have been put on a back burner.

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Below are the panelists and topics that each spoke about. To hear more amazing content, take some time to listen to Collaborative Connections E8, we promise it will be worth it.

Julie Gustafson, a trama mentor with JMG Consulting

The triggers in a situation generally just happen when going on with life. These triggers bring up either a flight or fight response, which means either an emotional or angry response. Julie brought insight from her background speaking to those triggers, and of “it being an emotional child inside, where that trauma occurred and where a shock occurred.” The self-reflection proceeding the recognition, allowing ourselves to ask, “why is this making me so angry or emotional?” Searching ourselves for these types of answers allows for an aware mindset for better decisions, healing, and response. As we listen to the episode, Julie helps shed light on more depth into the human perspective.

Jenniffer Burwell, director and VP at MAC6

The Five Stages of Change is a real process and is not linear. Humans can go forwards and backward through the different stages, every individual goes through the process at different times. Jen states in the conversation that “we’re all experiencing the same experience but reacting to it very differently based on endless factors.” As individuals, we are all doing the best that we can and perhaps, one person’s way to cope is their escape and what needs to be done for their own mental health. So who are you to judge what anybody else is doing in time?

Karen Nowicki, Phoenix Business Radio studio owner and CEO

Karen shares many perspectives and thoughts towards the effects of the current circumstances and provides much insight into the conversation. Bringing up a quote by Dr. Robert Block, “Adverse childhood experiences are the single, greatest, unaddressed public health threat facing our nation today.” Karen shared how that hit home for her as well as all the panelists proceeding to share their thoughts on how this quote truly affected them. So ask yourself and read it again, is this really what we’re talking about? Right?

Kelly Lorenzen, business concierge, and developer with KLM Consulting

A strategy that Kelly has been utilizing in getting through this and self-care is shutting the computer down completely so that we don’t come back to it at night. Kelly loves hanging out with her kids and family on the weekends especially. She makes it a point to not turn her computer on, on the weekends. She then ensures that she the time during the day, for work, Monday through Friday. In her family they know there is a structure, that everybody has to do their time for school, reading, exercise, and etcetera, making sure to check the boxes of all the stuff that needs to be accomplished.

Margo Crawford. productivity coach with Wave Productivity

In the basis to keep shifting and looking for better ways of showing up in your own life, having the goodwill and grace for yourself is important. We have all had to pivot really quickly in our work to react to the current circumstances. There have been many positive interactions, goodwill, and grace towards co-workers, taking time to set up home offices, or just we do whatever needs to be done to get in our work. Margo shares that “we need to bring that into our family lives as well when we’re feeling that overwhelm and stress that Jennifer spoke to and even the trauma that Julie talked about.

In our brain, what happens is we actually shut down the executive functioning, this being the portion of our brain that helps us make good decisions. Allowing, for future planning and strategicness, especially the thinking process of “what am I going to do now with my children” doesn’t come clear. This is because of the shutdowns and blocks to our own thoughts from the chaos around us.

Margo was able to then give action steps towards this block, using a technique called BLISS. This can help us get to a place in the present moment where we are able to stay calm.

• B is to Breathe: take a deep breath, get oxygen to the body and the brain
• L is to Look Around: look around and just know that you’re safe
• I is for I am: Be aware of where ‘I am’ here right now and move into the present moment.
• S is for Sound: What do you hear
• S is for Sensation: be aware of the sensations, smells, and anything around you that is going to bring you back to the present moment

Wrapping It Up

Our hope is that everyone will have some new tools and skills that you can use when we come out on the other side of this. No one is without their challenges and everyone has a unique situation or perspective to share.

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To hear more from medical professionals, click here. An episode consisting of Arizona Tech Council and two doctors, from research and practice at the University of Arizona speaking to the actual virus itself, what’s needed to truly be protected, and the projection for how long we’re going to have to be dealing with this.

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Contact Information:

Karen Nowicki. Studio Owner and CEO of Phoenix Business RadioX. karen.nowicki@businessradiox.com, businessradiox.com/phoenixbusinessradio – LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram

Kelly Lorenzen. Marketing and Project Management Concierge, CEO of KLM Consulting. Host, Collaborative Connections E8 – LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram

Julie Gustafson. Trama Mentor, JMG Consulting. myhealingwithin.com

Jennifer Burwell. Director and Vice President of MAC6 Conscious Workspace. mac6.com – LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram

Margo Crawford. Productivity Coach, Wave Productivity. waveproducitivity.com – LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter