Using a Helpful Cognitive Tool During the Pandemic

The adjustments and changes we have made during the days of the pandemic have been a testimony to our collective ability to adapt and persist. We’ve been tested in deep ways from our disconnection from the greater community, to performing at a distance, roles so grounding to our sense of self.  We’ve also had the structures that keep us in rhythm challenged and this imbalance has increased stress in unsuspecting ways. For this, we need to draw on one of our most meaningful psychological tools. Cognitive Override enables us to take the “high road” and align with values at times when we are tempted to resign to less motivated and sluggish states. It’s the force that enables us to rise instead of hitting the snooze five times or commit to a walk when the couch has us firmly in its grasp.  Here are five important daily uses of Cognitive Override as we manage the pandemic:  Natural Rhythms When quarantining or working from home, it is easy to push the natural brackets of the day. Our wake-sleep cycle is vital to our energy and mood. When we stretch these boundaries and are over or under-slept, we can experience shifts in mood and motivation. Sometimes these shifts are subtle, and other times we can get way off course. Commit to waking and retiring at set times. This is a time to cognitively override attractions or distractions and the rationalizations supporting the allure of staying up or sleeping in.   Routines It’s easy to brush off or postpone routines when e...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Motivation and Inspiration Boredom coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic Self Care social distancing Source Type: blogs