Human Resources: When Your World Grows Dark

When Your World Grows Dark

by Chris Edgelow

December and January are dark months in this part of the world. On days when I’m not travelling, I drive to the office in the dark and return home long after what little sun we see has long disappeared over the western horizon. This year there seems to have been a noticeable absence of bright sunny winter days this region is noted for as we have had fluctuating weather systems resulting in more cloudy, snowy days than normal.

Coupled with this normal darkness, the current global economic turbulence has created an unprecedented amount of unrest and uncertainty everywhere. Some organizations are initiating major cost cutting and massive reorganization efforts while others are simply falling by the wayside. Governments are desperately trying to avoid a prolonged global depression with spending initiatives that will impact everyone for decades to come with absolutely no guarantee they will have any positive impact whatsoever.

On a much more individual level, over the past couple of months I’ve talked with colleagues and friends who have experienced loss of jobs, death of loved ones, gut wrenching financial losses and the end of a long term relationship resulting in the break up of a family.

These can be viewed as dark times on many levels. Certainly many of these things are simply nothing more than the ebb and flow of life. However we are also giving witness to the profound set of circumstances that go along with the end of the historical era known as the industrial age and all of its impacts over the past few hundred years.

During times of darkness, there are many symptoms we are all too familiar with – low energy levels, depression, lingering illness, pessimistic attitudes, etc. Rather than simply feeling captive to everything associated with the darkness, there are many things we can do to find our way through dark times and come out the other side in even better shape than we went in:

Follow the natural tendency to turn inward: spend time alone with no distractions; curl up on a regular basis with a good book and a warm blanket; find a comfortable chair to sit upright and just breathe for 10-15 minutes; write three pages of random thoughts by hand in a scribbler each morning upon rising; go for long walks by yourself; make time to laugh and cry as required; take time to meditate, pray, journal, or whatever keeps you connected to your spiritual journey.
Balance the turn inward with some outside focus: stay connected with close friends; spend extra time outside – regardless of the weather; ask for help from people you trust; make time to get together with an old friend you’ve not seen for a long time; spend time listening to someone rather than talking – just really listen to them; make time for family – every day; connect with someone who’s perspective you respect but don’t know at all; focus on the long haul of your life’s journey rather than the current speed bumps you are experiencing as you remember ‘our anxiety doesn’t come from thinking about the future, rather from wanting to control it’.
Reconnect with your physical body: spend at least 30 minutes a day doing something resembling exercise – walking, cycling, yoga, stretching, running, dancing, etc.; pay attention to eating nutritious food; invest in whatever is required to ensure a good night’s rest; at least once a week do an extra long workout that works your heart and lungs vigorously; drink lots of good water each day.
Create an abundance of simple pleasures: enjoy a few quiet minutes each morning enjoying a great cup of coffee or favorite hot drink; light a candle to dispel the darkness and soften harsh lighting; be present at dawn and dusk; sit by a fire; listen to your long forgotten favorite music; watch and listen to the birds; cook a simple meal from scratch with someone you love; do something you love to do but haven’t found time for in a long while; enjoy a pot of good tea in the late afternoon (the British are right); go on a road trip; remember life is too short to drink cheap wine.
Resist the inflow of bad news: scan the paper and read only the good news stories in depth; turn off the onslaught of essentially irrelevant blather that makes up so much of TV these days; stop hanging out with pessimists and moaners; don’t listen to the rumor mongers at work; intentionally look for sources of good or uplifting news (i.e. www.goodnewsnetwork.org).
Avoid terminal professionalism: remember you are not your job; focus on the work to be done i.e. serve the customer to the utmost of your ability – stop worrying about all the other things beyond your control; when work is quiet, take time off to play more; separate need from want to ease the pressure excessive consumption brings;
Offer acts of service with courageous abandon: clean up after yourself at your favorite coffee shop to ease the burden on the staff; put your skin in the game by volunteering for a cause that touches your soul; let drivers into your lane as you ease through a traffic jam; shovel your neighbors walks; provide a shoulder to lean on for someone who is struggling right now.

Its February now and there is a noticeable lengthening of the day that is pushing back the darkness. Signs of hope are coming from many sources, balancing the continued doom and gloom to some small degree. The darkness always feels like a hallway of sorts, a narrowing of the world as we pass from one era to the next, from one year to another, from one phase of our life to another.

I’m reminded of a simple quote that was shared many years ago by a beloved colleague and mentor: “When one door closes, another door or window will eventually open, but these hallways are always tough”. I’ve always found some degree of comfort and insight from his words. I hope you do as well.

If we can be of further help, please register for our next Guiding Organizational Change Professional Qualification program. I can help you learn how to craft and implement an effective plan for change. To register or for more information, contact us toll free 1.888.944.1182.

Chris Edgelow
chris[at]sundance.ca
1.888.944.8383
Copyright 2009