After experiencing difficult times, intentionally reflect on what truly matters and what changes you want to make in your life (health, job, daily habits) to foster post-traumatic growth, leading to increased resilience, strength, and happiness.
Dedicate explicit time and space to process grief and trauma, allowing yourself to feel and express negative emotions rather than suppressing them, as suppression can lead to worse performance and physiological stress.
When feeling socially exhausted or anxious, practice self-compassion by recognizing that many people share this experience, being kind to yourself, and allowing yourself to take breaks or go slowly without self-criticism.
Recognize and prioritize the critical importance of social connections for overall well-being and happiness, making an effort to spend time with friends, family, and other humans.
Remember that negative emotions, such as those from burnout, are useful signposts indicating a need to re-evaluate your relationship with work and identity, prompting you to consider necessary changes or breaks.
Employ the RAIN (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) meditation process for 10-15 minutes to actively sit with, acknowledge, and process negative emotions, which helps in moving through them more effectively than distraction.
To quickly regulate negative emotions and reduce stress, take a couple of deep belly breaths to activate your vagus nerve and turn on your body’s rest and digest system.
Form or join group rituals that combine physical activity (e.g., daily outdoor walks/runs) with social connection and accountability (e.g., a group chat) to boost spirits and maintain well-being, especially during challenging times.
As life returns to normal, intentionally build back unstructured quality time with close family members and spouses that may have been gained during the pandemic, to avoid losing those connections.
For remote workers, actively seek and create new rituals or creative ways (e.g., virtual social events like trivia nights, phone calls) to foster social connection at work and with friends/family, replacing incidental interactions.