Managing Yourself in a Time of Change by Professor Philip Hallinger I CMMU Mahidol

Managing Yourself in the Covid-19 Crisis by COVID-19: Living in the Neutral Zone

• How can we manage ourselves best during the COVID-19 crisis?
• The Covide-19 situation is a kind of negative change in our lives much like losing a job, a divorce, or a death in the family
• With this change, our past life has Ended and we are living in a Neutral Zone waiting for the New Beginning – life after Covid-19
• Typical feelings in the Neutral Zone are lack of direction, low energy, tired, lonely, isolated, confused, uncertain
• How we respond to the challenge of living in the Neutral Zone is up to each of us.
• Fortunately, there are practical strategies we can use to regain a sense of control and motivation.



Practical Strategies to Regain Control
• Acknowledge your feelings and recognize that these are normal, “It’s not just you!”
• Stay connected daily with friends, colleagues and family. Don’t let isolation make you feel isolated
• Set SMART goals for the week & month – what you will accomplish during this period: exercise, smoking, weight loss, work tasks. Post your goals in a visible place you will see. Check off progress.
• Create routines to your day to reduce the lack of direction. With routines you are more likely to focus on tasks that achieve your goals
• Learn something new naturally focuses our attention and creates a tangible result. You will be proud to see the result several months from now. Make it one of your