We are thrilled to share an article from our friend Dr. Willie Jolley titled: 5 Keys To Help Coaches During Crisis Times
5 Keys To Help Coaches During Crisis Times by Dr Willie Jolley
Calling all coaches! Calling all coaches! You are needed desperately!
We are living through a time when we have seen a global pandemic, economic downturn, massive job 
According to the American Psychological Association, 48% of Americans are anxious about getting the coronavirus; and 62% are anxious about one of their loved ones getting it! Also, 25% of young people have considered suicide and many have not only considered it but actually attempted it! Plus,13% of adults have reported an increase in substance abuse.
History has shown that suicide rates are greatly impacted by crisis times. For example, there was a drastic increase in suicides after the 1918 flu pandemic, as well as the 2003 SARS epidemic. In addition, there was an increased percentage who committed suicide after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 that led to the Great Depression; and even during the Great Recession of 2008.
So, I go back to the starting point…if there was ever a time that people need coaches, it’s now! Calling all coaches. You are in great need!
Do I contend that coaches are, or should be psychologists? No!
I’m saying, you have clients who may be living lives of quiet desperation, but they trust you. Their confidence is in you. They look to you for advice, insight, and being a “sounding board” to help them work through their challenges. Many are more comfortable opening up to you than they are to their colleagues, peers, or even their family members. You often are their entire support system.
Yet, the challenge is that the same issues that create anxiety in your clients are the same issues you’re personally contending with on a daily basis! You are concerned about your own health and your own family.
So, as people often ask me, “Mr. Motivator, who motivates the motivator?” I ask you, “Coaches, who do you call on to help coach you through these difficult times?” I know you cannot answer me directly, for this is an article. But this is intellectual food for you to reflect on.
So, please let me give you an answer that I hope can be of help to you! I’ve learned from executive clients that I’ve worked with over the years, that their coaches were some of the most influential people in their worlds! So, I applaud you, celebrate you, and want to let you know that I am happy and honored to be able to be of help to you, as you continue to be of help to so many others!
Here are a few suggestions I offer you during these crisis times.
Pray!
According to research from the Washington Post, in crisis times, people have an increased inclination to pray, because they get solace and hope from the process of praying. The most interesting part of that Post article is an increase in the prayers of people who were atheist and agnostic! They say that praying gives them comfort. So, I encourage you to pray, no matter what your religious tradition or lack thereof. Prayer gives hope and can have a powerful impact on improving your mood and decreasing your level of anxiety.
Stay Positive!
It’s hard to stay positive in a time where you find a constant barrage of negative news. We live in a world where we are met with bad news from the time, we wake up to the time we go to bed. That’s why you must make a conscious determined effort to work on your positive attitude. It must be intentional.
Studies have shown for decades that those who are positive tend to have greater achievement and success than those who are not positive. And to cultivate and maintain that positive attitude, I recommend several daily actions.
First, make a point to read or listen to something in the first 20 minutes of every day. When most people wake up, the first thing they do is turn on the television, where they get to hear how many people died overnight, or how many children got snatched, or how many new terroristic attacks there were. What a horrible way to start your day!
I recommend you listen to something positive. In fact, I felt this was so important that I created daily one-minute messages called, “Wake Up and Win with Dr. Willie Jolley,” that air on radio stations around the country and daily one-minute positive video messages that are broadcast daily on television and online on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Here’s an example of the one-minute pieces from my book, It Only Takes A Minute To Change Your Life:
“We must see every day as an opportunity that demands that we give our all, do our best. We must see success not only as a destination but also as a journey that is constantly filled with adventure and challenges. If we are willing to meet those challenges, then we can live life to the fullest. Friends, every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up and knows that it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed and eaten. Also, every morning in Africa a lion wakes up and knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up, you’d better be running!”
When you start your day with something positive, it changes your whole outlook on life and the possibilities. Imagine that you woke up it was cold and rainy and dreary, what does your body want to do on days like that? Of course, the answer is to stay in bed! Yet, imagine you woke up and the sun was shining, and the birds were singing, and it was a beautiful day. Would you agree that on those days you are most apt to get up and get going because you do not want to miss a minute of that beautiful day? The same is true for your psyche. When you wake up and hear all the bad news, it puts a cloud over your thinking, and you are not quite as excited about that day. Yet, when you wake up and hear something positive like the Lion and Gazelle, it changes your outlook! That is why you must make a conscious determined effort to work on your positive attitude.
Say “Good Morning” to at least ten people to jump-start your day.
Of course, in COVID-19 times, you might be around fewer people, but you can still find creative ways to say hello to ten people daily. In non-COVID-19 times, you might stop every day by your local coffee shop or see ten people on your commute to work or when you get to the office or your workplace.
Make a point to say “Good Morning” to at least ten people. Understand that some of the people you speak to will say “Good Morning” back at you. Some will say nothing; and some might even grunt, “What’s Good About It?” Yet, I encourage you to keep saying it because their response is not important.
See, you are not saying “Good Morning” for them, you are saying it for you! Scripture teaches that “Faith cometh by hearing!” And as you say “Good Morning” ten times you have heard it ten times and your faith that this is a good morning has been conditioned. And even if you are hearing impaired you can still share the “Good Morning” message 10 times to others through sign language.
The main thing is that you communicate it ten times. Once you do that, you’ve made a positive declaration that it is a good morning. If you have a good morning, then you are on your way to a good afternoon. And if you have a good morning and a good afternoon, then you are on your way to a good evening, which creates a good day.
Then you can repeat that good day 7 times and you have had a good week. And then repeat that good week 4 times and you have had a good month. And then repeat that good month 12 times and you have had a good year. It all starts by saying “Good Morning” every day to at least ten people.
Be Proactive!
In these challenging times, you must be anticipatory or proactive! That means, don’t wait for good things to come your way…take action and make them come your way. First and foremost, I recommend that you commit that you will actively and intentionally have some self-care as part of your daily routine. I recommend you get some physical activity every morning. Whether it be a walk, a jog, a bike ride, yoga, or walking around your apartment or house for ten minutes. When you are active you release endorphins in your bloodstream; and those endorphins help you to feel better.
Breathe Deeply.
Sounds strange. But, take a few minutes out of your day, every day, to breathe deeply and think about something you are grateful for. There is power in breathing and filling your mind with gratitude. Everyone has something to be thankful for. Maybe it’s just being appreciative of waking up. It’s like what I share with audiences in my speeches, the old commercial says, “The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup!” Yet, I say, the best part of waking up, is waking up! If you don’t believe me, trying missing one!
We often don’t think about it, but every day you wake up is a good day. Even with the challenges you are facing or may face, it is still good to wake up. You get another opportunity to solve the problem or get past that situation. Whatever way it comes, you can be grateful for another day to pray, be positive, and be proactive.
As you go through this process, I’m confident you will be able to face your challenges better and help your clients do the same. Thank you for your outstanding service! And I encourage you to keep sharing your gifts and continue to make a difference, as you have been doing over the years!
Onward and Upward! And thank you for all you do!
Dr. Willie Jolley – Hall of Fame Speaker, Syndicated Radio and Television Personality and Best-Selling Author of A Setback Is A Setup For A Comeback, Turn Setbacks Into Greenbacks, It Only Takes A Minute To Change Your Life, An Attitude of Excellence, and Make Love, Make Money Make It Last!
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