by Ami Ji Schmid
The difference between life + death could be a simple mantra reframe.
Most people working with or directly touched by #COVID19 may not realize they are #overwhelmed and heading toward #burnout. Most people experiencing overwhelm or burn-out don’t realize they are inadvertently reinforcing a perspective of hopelessness - with the simple mantra: “I don’t want to be here.” “Here” unwittingly, means alive. Unwittingly, the simple mantra I don’t want to be here is building a case toward #suicide.
When emotions run high or energy runs low, it’s easier to feel overwhelmed. When overwhelmed, #challenges (both large and small) feel insurmountable. When you drop a pen and feel like “I just can’t handle one more thing,” you know that you are overwhelmed to the point of burn-out. You have no reserve, and having to do one more thing - even bending over to pick up a pen - becomes the straw that breaks the camels back. The pen is the straw. You are the camel. You are breaking.
At these moments, you may think: I don’t want to be here. You may not realize that there’s an inner voice of exhaustion repeating this, over and over, with each new challenge. “I don’t want to be here" becomes a #mantra.
Is there an I-don’t-want-to-be-here mantra playing somewhere inside your psyche?
The “I don’t want to be here” mantra reinforces the belief that the only alternative to feeling overwhelmed is to leave this life.
No one starts out suicidal.
The stress, overwhelm, and mantra build up over time. When in the middle of ongoing #trauma, it’s not always evident that this build up is occurring.
There is a simple #reframe, though, that can circumvent the build up that leads to suicide. Try this...
When something bothers you, tell yourself: “I want things to change.”
#Iwantthingstochange reinforces that - yes, this is too much - AND life could be better. I want things to change invites solutions to creating that better life. I want things to change reinforces “I want to live.”
Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
While this common phrase may not be 100% true 100% of the time, it is true most of the time for most people. For most people, there are #solutions to every problem - though the solution may not yet be evident.
The next time you catch yourself thinking I don’t want to be here, try switching your mantra to I want things to change. When you want things to change, it is more likely that they will.
Looking for personal support? Contact Ami Ji Schmid at TLC Coaching and Consulting Services.