What a month for this nation! Most of us are stuck at home, with anxiety pulsing around us (and for many, anxiety pulsing inside of us!) As I hear liquor sales are on the increase, I consider OTHER ways to calm my nervous system!
And, so many well laid plans are currently on PAUSE! For ALL of us!! Not to mention the toilet paper shortage!
I had planned this week to start writing and to begin sharing free Motivational Interviewing (MI) tips and resources. Then I got ambivalent – is now a good time? People are freaking out! Do they really want to hear MI reminders, tips, and resources?
Then, I considered, there are some essential components of MI that could be helpful for managing yourself, family members, and clients you remain in contact with. (I’m moving my therapy practice to Telehealth, thank goodness that’s an option!).
And selfishly, I need something else to focus on besides COVID-19 anxiety. Yay for work as distraction (coping)! Plus, most of us are basically shifting our lives to an online platform if we can (including social life!),so perhaps you are more glued to your email than usual! So, I resolved my ambivalence, and decided to send this email.
Using Motivational Interviewing for Self-Change
Using Motivational Interviewing on myself?! Isn’t it just a technique to use with clients? Certainly not! Alan Zuckoff has an entire book about it, Finding Your Way to Change. The gist is, we need to identify what we want to change, build connection to our WHY, and begin to develop a specific change plan.
I invite you to consider for a moment your shifting world. What was important to you last week may not be what is most important this week. What is one change you can gift yourself with right now for your own serenity?
Case in point: The physical tension in my body from all of this stress sure has been making my body sore. And me, very, very irritable. I moved from precontemplation (being grumpy, “why the heck does my neck hurt?”), to contemplation (ahh, my body is tense, I could do something about that!). Then preparation (that’s right! Youtube exercise videos! Go for a hike! I have epsom salt somewhere in this house for a hot bath) And finally, into action (yoga mat rolled out, video begun)!
First, I invite you to identify something you could be doing to support yourself right now (that you aren’t already doing). Click here to download your own personal Change Plan that I created just for you. Pick a self-care topic. Post it on your fridge. Take care of YOU!
