Which “Zone” Are You In Now?

See the three zones that this visual suggests we may find ourselves in throughout this crisis; "Fear Zone" - anxiety, dread, anger, the "Learning Zone" - self-awareness, some acceptance, and the "Growth Zone" - empathy, giving, adaptive, self-caring. I would like to emphasize, as we go through this crisis, it's not easy to get into that Growth Zone, and we may spend a lot of time In the Fear Zone.

However, I do think that with practice, the help of others - including a friend, a therapist or spirituality - we can make our way at times, into the Growth Zone. But it's very easy to quickly slip back into the Fear Zone. And, as I share in my leadership training, we spend our lives to some extent in and out of these places. The key to growth, and happiness, is to practice self-awareness and know when we are in either of these places. That also takes practice and is certainly worth the effort, because when we realize that we are in a place of anger, worry, dread, etc., we can then try to take steps to move ourselves to a higher level. And while I often mention, "finding the best version of ourselves," when we do find it, it certainly can be fleeting. Again, with practice, mindfulness and maybe the help of others, we can access that place and hopefully, spend even more time there, and live even happier and more purposeful lives.