2021 ACE-WIL BC May Symposium: Sharing Innovation in WIL
Keynote Speaker Thursday May 6th, 2021
Linda Edgecombe: Resilient Living in 2021- How to get started in a state of Overwhelm
By Heather Workman
Linda Edgecombe kicked off the Keynote address with a bang by issuing a challenge for attendees: What would you do if you didn’t know you couldn’t? and encouraged us all to stay at “the 30,000 foot level, at the idea level” as we move through our sessions to stay curious and encourage creativity. And reminding us that treasures are in our triggers – look at why something I hear, bugs me or why I disagree with something that was said.
Next she asked if we want to be happy. If so, we need to stop telling ourselves the same stories to the same people in our circle, and be prepared to move the dial or shift slightly to make a change.
Checked in and asked us how we are feeling – exhausted, tired, busy, depleted, tough to be creative, etc. lack of energy, etc. and stated, it`s ok not to be ok. The opposite of being busy and exhausted…is feeling more alive. Ask ourselves what can we do to feel more alive?
Linda encouraged everyone to do a quick a self-assessment on a four category grid. Rate your rate on a scale of one to ten with ten being fantastic.
Relationships – all the important ones in your life, family, work friends, etc.
Physical activity – is movement a regular part of your life on a weekly basis
Career – do you love or loathe what you are doing Is it challenging and creative, can you express yourself and are you being challenged. Finances get tied into this.
Mindfulness/spirituality. Do you regularly take time to quieten your mind, do something for yourself?
Add them up. If you are scoring low that is fine. You are working through things but there is a lot going on. Averages are 18-31 across all industry areas both pre and post COVID. If you scored between 20-30 points, you are probably doing ok in all but one part of your life. If you are scoring over 30 you are living intentionally with purpose and great practices and processes and you know how you are going to start and end your day and this is very important.
If you want to start something to get away from the racquetball type of life bouncing all over the place, do this at the beginning of your day.
- Today I will let go of…
- Today I am grateful for…
- Today I will focus on…
Because the only thing worse than feeling fully alive is pretending to be fully alive. COVID has given us a reason that it is ok, to be not ok.
Linda’s shared her Essentials for resilient living:
#1- Movement of any kind. Gets more oxygen your body every day.
#2 – Sleep. As we age it gets more elusive. Need to sleep in a cool room 64-65 degrees. Dark and quiet. (Buy good linen to help this along.) Need to sleep naked because you sleep better and more soundly
#3 – Humour and laughter. Find your funny so don’t watch dark television instead turn to Ted Lasso or something positive that makes you laugh.
#4 – Clarity – we have the time right now to sort out what you really want with your life. If you know what you want, this will give you permission to say no to what you don’t want.
#5 – Create spaces to just be. Research by Dr. Laurie Santos. Need to schedule this time to lower your cortisol and de stress.
#6 – Contribution – doing something for someone else that never has to be repaid.
Where do you start in a state of overwhelm? Just start. Start with the junk drawer, start with your purse, empty a box.
Linda directed each of us to go back to your survey, and pick one quadrant of the survey that you will do something about in the next three days. Taking the first step kick starts momentum. Be specific, chose one thing to do, write it down and / or tell someone about it that you will act on. The “don’t think method of getting things done.” “Today I will go for a walk at lunch.”
Linda also shared information from Dr. Lorie Santos from Yale University who researched “What Happy People do, that Un-Happy People Don’t Do, of the “The Science of Well Being”
The 20 Minutes that Will Change Your Life
- Happy People carve some time for themselves every day. Happy People practice thinking about and writing down the things they are grateful for.
- Happy People do KIND things for others daily.
Bonus Points – if you can do some of all of the above outdoors in Nature.
Linda did a great job setting us up for an exciting Symposium both personally and professionally and how to shake the cobwebs off and launch ourselves forward. Onward!
For a free electronic copy of “Breaking Busy” and the Alive Workplace Audit go to www.lindaedgecombe.com and download it. It is free.