Who is in control, you or your moods?
Are your moods serving your work, relationships, and life well, or do they sometimes cause you trouble?
What is the relationship between your thoughts and your emotions?
Moods are emotions that persist, or stick around. Alan Sieler and Mark Raymond, of the Newfield Institute, describe moods as emotional responses that persist on a daily basis to the point that they "take up residence." The power of moods is that while they operate out of awareness, they play a dominant role in our thoughts and behavior---be that for better or worse. Moods are a filter to our perceptions and influence what we believe we can and cannot do.
Coaches within an organization need to be particularly aware of their emotional responses to crises within their organizations and their personal lives, because as a leader in a school they serve as "tone setters" in the organization: their response to a crisis or event will have great impact on the staff and students. In order to develop and maintain a positive and resourceful culture , it is the responsibility of a leader to set a positive tone.
It is very difficult in most schools, right now, not to be taken over by a mood of anxiety, a very debilitating mood. When in the mood of anxiety we tend to crave certainty, we imagine worst-case scenarios and begin to "live" them with our nervous system. Then much of the present and future appears threatening and harmful. If we let this mood of anxiety run, we begin to believe that we will be unable to cope if the worst happened, and then begin to live as if that were the truth by withdrawing from the very human resources and resilience that serve us so well in challenging times.
While moods of anxiety, resignation, and resentment are unhelpful and can lead us to despair, despondency, and self-pity, the counter moods of acceptance and wonder are quite resourceful. In the mood of acceptance, we can work from clarity and thoughtfulness, realizing what we can and cannot change and discerning where we might get the best return for our energy. In a mood of wonder, we can become curious about what will happen and how we will deal with it.
Moods can be both individual and social. Are you aware of the impact of your moods on others in your school? What is the mood of your school?
How do you go about shifting your moods? What helps to shift from a mood of anxiety to a mood of acceptance?
This reminds me a lot of the poems that you shared with us a couple of months ago at State Study. The past several weeks, I have found myself in the "trough." However, I feel like things are starting to pick up, FINALLY! I had to tell myself to just rest and gather strength until I "crested" again.
ReplyDeleteSo, my point is (I promise this is connected to mood) that while I was at the low point, I was finding myself in a very blue mood, and I would notice that it affected my work. I had to keep reminding myself that my mood can really impact others around me. As I resigned myself to the idea that I could just "lay low" and rest in the trough of the wave, I found that life as a coach was more do-able. And feeling like things were do-able helped improve my mood.
--Liz