On the fifty-ninth installment of Tristan's Tips, our amazing host Tristan Layfield is back to talk about how the struggle is real and how we all need to give ourselves grace as we navigate this pandemic. While work may be a coping mechanism for many, there are quite a few of us that feel overwhelmed and stuck. We're all experiencing something that the majority of us have never experienced in our lives and hopefully never will again. Remember, resilience is not time-bound. In stillness, we can find peace.

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TRANSCRIPT

Tristan: What's going on, Living Corporate?! It's Tristan of Layfield Resume Consulting, and I'm back to bring you not necessarily a tip but more of a personal testimony. This week, I want to talk about how the struggle is real and how we all need to give ourselves grace (shoutout to my best friend who has said this to me at least 100 times the last week or so).




As a self-diagnosed hypochondriac, COVID-19 has my anxiety on 1,000. I’ve struggled getting started in the morning, my focus is at record lows, and all I’ve wanted to do is sit and process. Over the last couple of weeks, the narrative we’ve all been hearing from LLC Twitter and Instagramprenuers is that now is the time to be productive.

 

Each time I logged in, no matter the platform, I felt this overwhelming sense of shame. Like I wasn’t doing enough or not taking advantage of this time enough. But I literally have not had the energy to continue with business as normal.

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So, I’m calling BS. While I get that work may be a coping mechanism for many, there are quite a few of us that feel overwhelmed and stuck. We're all experiencing something that the majority of us have never experienced in our lives (and hopefully never will again). It’s okay to give yourself grace.

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This pandemic has thrown us into a whirlwind of uncertainty, and many of us are experiencing loss in more ways than one.

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I'm here to tell you; it's okay to grieve…

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…that graduation

…that job you lost

…that opportunity you lost

…your dwindling savings

…your birthday plans

…that trip you had planned

…physical contact

…that person you lost

…your freedom

...all of those things

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Grief is not a linear process, and I encourage you to take the time to sit still, feel the feels, and process your thoughts. Being still right now doesn't mean you are wasting this time, in fact, I think that many of the people who are acting as if it is business, as usual, are doing so because they don’t know how to process or handle stillness. All of us have been ingrained with a sense of urgency and have tied productivity into our worth. This may be the first and only time in our lives where we as a collective can sit, process, reflect, and just be.

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Create time and space for you to unpack and process what’s going on and how it is affecting you. Once I gave myself that time, I’ve found it has opened up more mental and emotional space to be productive because I’ve been able to focus on the things I can control.




Remember, resilience is not time-bound. In stillness, we can find peace. Be kind to yourself, stay inside, and stay safe.




If you want to connect with me, check me out on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @LayfieldResume or connect with me, Tristan Layfield, on LinkedIn.