Imagine being dropped in the middle of a forest at 2:00 am. You need to find your way back while running or biking to a specific point on a map and you need to make it there before the other people you’re competing against. What will be going through your mind? Will you be in control of your thoughts and emotions, or are they in control of you?
These are the types of high-stress situations that Rebecca Rusch– a world champion in extreme sports- finds herself in regularly as she competes in “orienteering.” In order to remain self-aware and in control of her feelings in these emotionally charged situations, Rebecca practices self-distancing: she finds ways to create space between herself and her feelings.
For example, if she is lost on an unmarked trail, or if she runs out of food in the middle of the night, she pretends that she’s giving advice to a friend. “Pretending that I am thinking about a friend rather than myself almost always provides me with more clarity and insight about what to do in a tricky situation,” she says.
While most of us rarely compete in these types of extreme situations, self-distancing is a valuable practice that can help us take ourselves out of the picture in order to deal with any tough situation. In this time of Covid-19 where most leaders and healthcare professionals are facing situations that are volatile, unpredictable, complex and ambiguous (VUCA), practicing self-distancing can go a long way in promoting awareness and clarity. Research has shown that when people imagine a friend in a tough situation, their ability to appraise the situation wisely and accurately is much higher than when they think of themselves being in the same situation.
Other ways to practice self-distancing when leaders have some more time on their hands is journaling in the third person and mindfulness meditation. Journaling in the third person may sound a bit strange, but researchers have found that it can provide vital benefits. For example, a leader goes home after a long day of dealing with the challenges of overseeing the provision of care to extremely ill Covid-19 patients. Instead of writing in her journal: “I am facing serious challenges in securing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to my staff and I need to make sure that they are taking enough breaks to remain resilient,” she can write: “Andrea is facing serious challenges in securing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to her staff and she needs to make sure that they are taking enough breaks to remain resilient.” By creating some separation between herself and the situation, she is better able to chart all the circumstances and bring new insights to an overwhelming situation.
Mindfulness meditation, another practice of self-distancing, involves watching thought itself. Often, a leader’s patterns of thinking are very strong, but they are also typically narrow, inaccurate, self-involved, and plain wrong. In mindfulness meditation, the process of thinking itself can be thought of as a waterfall- a cascading of thought. When leaders cultivate mindfulness through meditation, they give themselves the chance to go behind their thinking, in the same way that someone can go sit on a rock behind the waterfall. He can observe the water, but is not inside of it. In the midst of a crisis, this exercise does not require a lot of time. In fact, leaders can practice mindfulness meditation in a few minutes every day. “Meditation has become a key part of my routine. I use an app called Headspace and meditate for 10 minutes every day. This small part of my day carries over into everything else I do. It helps me stay more present and focused in the moment, which is integral to solid performance in just about any endeavor, including bike racing,” Rebecca Rusch explains.
When leaders watch their thoughts without being drawn into them, they can detach from their usual thought patterns, which enables them solve problems better and significantly improve how they deal with crises.
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Dr. Amer Kaissi is a Professional Speaker, Executive Coach and an expert on Leadership, Humility & Ambition, Assuming Positive Intent, Psychological Safety & Accountability, Growth Mindsets & Resilience. He is the author of five books.
