The Amazing Power of Music in a Crisis

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In the first few months after coronavirus spread throughout the world in 2020, there was an explosion of group singalongs around the world. People sang from their balconies in Italy, the United States, and Canada. Others used technology to sing together virtually.

In Columbus, children played cellos from their porch so an elderly neighbor could hear. A Dutch orchestra gave a virtual performance of Ode to Joy.

There's a reason so many people broke out into song during this health crisis. Music, particularly singing, helps people stay resilient despite chronic stress and adversity. Singing with other people is even more beneficial.

Research suggests that creating music together evolved as a tool of social living. Groups and tribes sang and danced to build loyalty, transmit vital information, and ward off enemies. 

Numerous studies demonstrate that music reduces anxiety and stress, and improves mood and performance. Some research suggests that music enhances our immune system by reducing the stress hormone cortisol and boosting the Immunoglobin A antibody. Researchers found that group singing builds social bonds, strengthening the connections we need for resilience.

Singing may promote a sense of happiness and well-being. Researchers found that people feel more positive after actively singing than they do after passively listening to music or chatting about positive life events. SoundFro.com lists 15 ways singing can benefit your health, including lowering blood pressure, improving memory, and boosting confidence.

In This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, rocker turned neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin writes that music is fundamental to human beings. He argues that music serves as an indicator of cognitive, emotional, and physical health and is evolutionarily advantageous as a force that leads to social bonding and increased fitness.

Luckily, we can all sing. During this crisis, make an effort to sing every day. If you’re bored singing along to the radio or YouTube videos, check out online karaoke sites or join a virtual choir. If you can’t carry a tune, no one will judge your performance in the shower! Do you sing during a crisis?

___________________________

To learn more about how you and your team can thrive in adversity, visit my website, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. And, check out my online Resilience Leadership course.

Be Courageous! Put People First

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We have now spent over two years dealing with a global pandemic. While we can see some hope in the future as more and more people get vaccinated, people are reaching their limits.

Companies are struggling, organizations are floundering, and government agencies are feeling the strain. When this is over, a few organizations will stand out as having thrived despite the crisis.

Based on my experience with U.S. Embassies in crisis, I predict that those successful organizations will all have one thing in common. They are putting their people first. They are prioritizing the well-being of their workforce over profits, products, or policy. They understand that in a crisis, it's the people who make things happen. It's the people who find innovative solutions and solve the toughest problems.

In a crisis, leaders must prioritize the safety of their employees, even when it's hard. Over the past few weeks, I've heard from dozens of employees who do not feel safe in their workplace. Their supervisors tell their employees they care, but their actions say otherwise. They limit telework because they aren't comfortable with remote supervision. They don't fight for masks and hand sanitizers for essential staff who must take risks by coming to work. They won't pay the salaries of employees who are sick or in self-quarantine.

Employees who do not feel safe will quickly check out. Even the most self-motivated employee will lose their energy just when you need it the most. After the crisis, it will be difficult or impossible to rebuild trust, leaving teams fractured and less capable. Staff may become bitter and cynical, which erodes team resilience and limits productivity.

In contrast, when people feel safe, they will often perform exceptionally well under stress. Some will remember the crisis as a highlight of their career. U.S. Ambassador Peter Bodde demonstrated the power of putting people first when a devastating earthquake hit Nepal in 2015. Realizing that the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu was one of the safest buildings in the city, he allowed all embassy staff (American and Nepalese), their families, and their pets to move onto the embassy compound. This move was unprecedented, and he didn't ask Washington for permission. He knew he was taking a risk, but the safety of his staff was his top priority.

Ambassador Bodde’s team exceeded expectations in their ability to assist and protect U.S. citizens and achieve U.S. foreign policy goals. Staff told me that they have fond memories of their time in Nepal, even though they lived and worked through two major earthquakes and hundreds of aftershocks.

If you are a supervisor, take a few minutes and ask yourself whether you are putting your people first. Are you making the sacrifices necessary to demonstrate that you care about your staff? If not, ask yourself why. What are you prioritizing ahead of your employees? Identify the barriers preventing you from supporting your people and work to remove or minimize those barriers.

If you’re afraid of the consequences if you prioritize people over profits, products, or policy, remind yourself that courage is taking action despite the fear, not the absence of fear. Commit to being courageous during this public health crisis. You and many others will be glad you did.

What have you done to put people first during this pandemic?

___________________________

To learn more about how you and your team can thrive in adversity, visit my website, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. And, check out my online Resilience Leadership course.

Why You Need to Exercise During a Crisis

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After two years, we are still grappling with coronavirus and figuring out our new normal. We also don’t know what the next crisis will be.

Those of us who maintain our resilience through any crisis will adapt more easily to the unexpected and will recover more quickly once the crisis is over.

Several researchers have found that regular exercise helps build resilience, which is why it's critical to stay active during this crisis.

One study found that aerobic exercises, including jogging, swimming, cycling, walking, gardening, and dancing, reduce anxiety and depression. A literature review noted that working out reduces anxiety, depression, and negative mood, and improves self-esteem and cognitive functioning. Another study found that running for 15 minutes a day or walking for an hour reduces the risk of major depression by 26%. Several studies show that exercise can improve your immune system.

Researchers speculate that exercise is so powerful because it promotes neural growth in the brain and reduces inflammation. Physical activity may create new brain patterns, promoting feelings of calm and wellbeing. Exercise also releases endorphins, which make us feel good. Exercise can help us sleep well, which is known to have protective effects on the brain.

Most experts recommend that thirty minutes of exercise of moderate intensity, such as brisk walking, for three days a week, is sufficient for these health benefits. These 30 minutes need not be continuous; three 10-minute walks can be as equally useful as one 30-minute walk. Even if you don't have 90 minutes each week to exercise, do what you can. One study found that a single, brief spurt of very easy exercise will produce desirable changes in the brain.

If the coronavirus has disrupted your regular exercise routine, think about alternative ways you can keep moving. For example, put on some music and dance for 10 minutes every day. Find a virtual exercise class that keeps you motivated. Go for a solo bike ride or walk around the block.

While moderate exercise is critical during a crisis, avoid over-exercising since some research indicates that stress caused by too much physical activity may be harmful. Consult your doctor before exercising while sick or starting a new exercise routine.

What impact does exercise have on your resilience?

___________________________

To learn more about how you and your team can thrive in adversity, visit my website, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. And, check out my online Resilience Leadership course.

The Crisis Is Over. Now What?

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In the State Department, I experienced several crises ranging from civil unrest to natural disasters. They usually involved long hours, high risk, and stress levels that were off the charts.

After each crisis was over, we would usually pick up where we left off, thinking everything was back to normal.

But it wasn’t business as usual.

People who had performed admirably during the crisis were struggling and losing focus. Teams that bonded during the emergency were fracturing one or two years later.

While resilience appeared to be high during the crisis, it quickly eroded afterward, leaving individuals and teams struggling to return to regular life. Teams that were cohesive and effective in the emergency started to splinter one or two years later when there were staff changes.

That's why leaders must emphasize fostering individual and team resilience after a crisis.  A focus on resilience will help minimize the harm caused by traumatic events and will contribute to the team's return to normal functioning as quickly as possible.  People and groups may even grow from the experience.

Here are some tips for fostering resilience after a crisis:

Take Time Off

Remind yourself and others to schedule time off work as soon as possible after the emergency to reconnect with friends and family or pursue a passion. Taking time off will also help people process the events they just experienced.

Talk About the Impact

Encourage staff to discuss the personal impact of the crisis. People respond to a crisis differently, and it is essential to hear their stories. Many people tend to suppress the strong emotions a crisis evokes, which is counterproductive. Instead, encourage colleagues to share their feelings.

Don’t Prolong the Urgency

It is easy to stay in crisis mode even when the emergency is over. If a crisis continues for longer than a few months, it is no longer a crisis but the new normal. Intentionally mark the end of the crisis.

Include New Staff

Staff who experienced the crisis have a shared story, and new arrivals in the organization need to hear the story to feel part of the same team. Use memorial ceremonies or other group events to ensure that everyone understands how the crisis impacted the group.

Acknowledge Success

Recognize the hard work and sacrifices people made during the crisis. Be generous with awards.

Ask for Help

If you are struggling to recover from the crisis, consider seeking support from a mental health professional. Encourage team members to seek assistance if they need it.

What has helped you rebuild your resilience after a crisis?

___________________________

To learn more about how you and your team can thrive in adversity, visit my website, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. And, check out my online Resilience Leadership course.

How to Stay Resilient in a Crisis

Now that many of us are coming out of the coronavirus crisis and creating our new normal, it’s time to prepare for the next crisis. Unfortunately, we often won’t know ahead of time what the next crisis will be or when it will hit.

Building your resilience is one of the best ways to prepare for a crisis since resilient people and teams are more adaptive, flexible, and collaborative. The type of emergency you may face is often unpredictable. For example, companies in Houston were not expecting Hurricane Harvey to cause catastrophic flooding that threatened their operations. The 9/11 terrorist attacks challenged many organizations, not just first responders, who struggled to manage the impact of this tragedy.

Even smaller crises, such as the sudden loss of leadership or cancellation of a significant contract, can erode staff resilience. If an emergency is prolonged, and we don't intentionally maintain our resilience, we risk becoming burned out and ineffective.

Here are some ways you can build individual and team resilience during a crisis:

Put People First

The highest priority in an emergency is the safety and security of team members. Take the time to ensure that everyone has what they need to feel secure. If it is possible and some people want to opt-out, don't judge and permit them to leave. Fewer people will ask to leave if they know they have the choice.

Stay Connected

Take the time to eat a meal with your family, have lunch with a friend, or chat with friends or family by phone. It is easy to become consumed by the crisis, but a few minutes spent with your social support network is a valuable resilience boost.

Ask for Help

One of the best ways to maintain resilience during a crisis is to resist the temptation to prove how capable you are by going it alone. Be proactive early on and get the help you need.

Eat, Hydrate, Exercise

Ensure you have fluids, healthy food, and the time to eat. Minimize caffeine and sugar since these only provide a temporary boost followed by a significant drop in energy. If you want to have snack foods, bring in fruit and nuts instead of candy and chips. Avoid alcohol since it will mask but not reduce stress, and can harm your body in times of stress. Make time to exercise even if it's only taking a ten-minute walk.

Take Rest Breaks

While a crisis often requires 24/7 work coverage, that doesn’t mean people should work non-stop. Develop work schedules that incorporate time for rest breaks, meals, and relaxation. Ask people who are not scheduled to work to leave. Some people like to stay where the action is, but they can be distracting and will then be overtired when it's their turn to work. Leaders should designate deputies so they can also take time to eat, sleep, and relax.

Identify Goals

Many of us assume we know what our goals are during a crisis, but hearing those goals articulated will help ensure that everyone understands and shares the same goals. Remind people often what your shared goals are.

Stay Positive

Look for the positive in everything you do and remind colleagues what good has happened every day. It's easy to focus on the negative in a crisis so intentionally shift your focus to something more positive.

Communicate Extensively

Effective communication is critical in a crisis. Err on the side of over-communicating since staff will fill a vacuum of information with rumors that are often worse than reality.

Encourage Humor

Even though you may find yourself in a life or death situation, there is still room somewhere to have fun and laugh - find it. Be sure you are culturally sensitive when you do this.

Actively Problem Solve

In a crisis, it's easy to get stuck when things do not go as planned. Work with colleagues to identify issues and find solutions.

Do What's Right

Sometimes in a crisis, rules and regulations need to be bent to do what's right. While you don't want to disregard policies and procedures, there will be times when they will conflict with what is right. Do what's right and ask forgiveness later if you violate the rules.

Have you experienced a crisis? If so, how your resilience was impacted, and what you did to maintain your resilience?

 ___________________________

To learn more about how you and your team can thrive in adversity, visit my website, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. And, check out my online Resilience Leadership course.

Don’t Return to the Workplace Without Talking About Risk

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I managed many crises during my service as a U.S. diplomat. One of the most important lessons I learned is that everyone has a different threshold of risk. That's the amount of risk a person is comfortable taking when faced with danger and uncertainty.

When people have not yet reached their threshold of risk, they function reasonably well despite the dangers they face. When they exceed their risk limit, anxiety kicks in, fear becomes overwhelming, and they struggle to perform.

I saw this dynamic very clearly after insurgents fired rockets at the al-Rasheed hotel in Baghdad in 2003. For State Department employees in Iraq, this attack changed our perception of the risks we were taking. For many people, that risk exceeded their threshold.

While a few people immediately left Baghdad, many others were pressured to remain in-country despite their discomfort. Staff who remained despite having exceeded their thresholds of risk suffered from high anxiety and struggled with performance. Many became a burden on the rest of the team.

Many organizations are exploring ways to bring employees back to the workplace now that more people are getting vaccinated. Returning to a workplace during this pandemic entails a certain amount of risk given the uncertainty associated with the virus. While putting in place mitigation measures such as wearing masks and regular cleaning may reduce some hazards, it's impossible to eliminate all risks. Even employees who are vaccinated are taking some risks by interacting with other people in their workplace.

Wise supervisors strive to avoid asking employees to return to the workplace when this would exceed their risk threshold. It's essential to recognize that every employee has a personal threshold of risk and to talk with staff about their concerns. While there may be easily identifiable justifications for low thresholds such as underlying health issues or a fear of vaccines, there are also less apparent reasons why someone is more risk-averse.

I learned to explore underlying reasons when one of my employees resisted moving into a new office. I assumed she was jockeying for an office closer to leadership but luckily did not act on that assumption. Instead, I met with her privately to explore her reasoning. She told about a terrorist incident she'd experienced years before and explained that working in an office with windows on the main street felt too risky for her. Her anxiety spiked when she thought about working in that office. An office that was not on the main street felt less precarious. If we had not adjusted and accepted her threshold of risk, her anxiety would have interfered with her performance.

Here are some ways you can ensure that you're not pushing employees beyond their thresholds of risk as you return to the workplace:

Understand and Accept Your Employees’ Risk Thresholds

Some people are more risk-averse than others. When faced with uncertainty, they prefer to minimize loss, even when it reduces possible gains. This may be a personality trait or be influenced by life experiences. Either way, it is unlikely you will persuade someone to be less risk-averse. Instead, accept your employees' risk thresholds and ask what they need from you to mitigate them.

Don’t Push for One Size Fits All

Some supervisors mistakenly think that fairness means treating all employees equally. As a result, they settle on one solution and try to persuade everyone to adopt the same approach. They may reward employees who are comfortable returning to the office at the first opportunity, which pressures others to exceed their risk thresholds. Or, they defer to those with lower risk tolerance and frustrate colleagues who would like to take more risks. Instead, recognize individual risk tolerances and institute policies that allow for flexibility. It is ok if some employees return to the workplace sooner than others based on their preferences. 

Don’t Impose Your Risk Threshold on Others

Some leaders assume that their perception of risk is "right," and when employees differ, they are unreasonable or insubordinate. There is no right or wrong when it comes to risk. That's why managing risk is so challenging. Recognize that your risk threshold is based on your personality and past experiences. Others will have very different, yet just as valid, responses to the same situation.

Don’t Minimize People’s Fears

If you dismiss or minimize your employees' fears, their fear will not go away. Telling someone "not to be scared" communicates that their concerns are not valid. When employees don't feel heard, they often become frustrated and angry. Some people may try to suppress their fear, which drains their emotional energy and erodes resilience. Instead, acknowledge and accept their fears and focus on actions you can take to address the underlying causes.

How are you addressing risk as you return to the workplace?

___________________________

To learn more about how you and your team can thrive in adversity, visit my website, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. And, check out my online Resilience Leadership course.

Are You Feeling Stressed From Coronavirus? Try Coloring

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If chronic stress from the coronavirus is eroding your resilience and you’re looking for a quick and inexpensive way to de-stress and rest your brain, consider coloring.

After her 10-week-old son's death, Dee Ledger found that coloring calmed her nerves and helped soothe her grief.

Devin Kent started coloring after a bad car accident left her with extreme anxiety. Coloring leaves her calm and confident, able to conquer the world.

Lydia Mansel discovered that coloring left her with fewer headaches and less back pain. When she started coloring, her sleep improved, and she ate less. 

Research supports the wealth of anecdotal evidence that coloring helps people recover from stress and trauma.

A 2006 study found that art therapy for women with cancer helped significantly decrease physical and emotional distress during their treatment. Another study found that coloring an intricate geometric design reduced anxiety among undergraduate students. 

According to psychologist Nikki Martinez, coloring can calm down our amygdala, the part of the brain that, when active, keeps individuals in a heightened state of worry, panic, and hyper-vigilance. She explains that coloring can have an exceptionally recuperative effect by taking you out of your present stresses and concerns.

Craig Sawchuk, a clinical psychologist at the Mayo Clinic, says that coloring books work like other mindfulness techniques such as yoga and meditation. Coloring can help slow down your heart rate and respiration, loosen muscles and stimulate the brain.

Sawchuk recommends that people who are new to coloring start slow, with a limited amount of time, and gradually increase every few days. He explains that some people focus better while working on simple symmetrical designs while others benefit from more complex, abstract patterns. People should try both types to see what works for them.

It’s not surprising that coloring books for adults are best-sellers. One of the first coloring books specifically for adults is Johanna Basford’s Secret Garden, and it has sold more than 11 million copies in 22 languages since its release in Spring 2013. In France, the publisher Hachette's release of "Art-Therapie: 100 Coloriages Anti-Stress" was such a success that Hachette launched 20 more coloring books, selling nearly 20 million copies. 

There are thousands of coloring books adults can choose from and many websites that offer free coloring pages. If you’re looking for a quick way to build resilience and recover from stress during this global pandemic, give coloring a try.

Do you color? What impact does it have on your resilience and wellbeing?

I help individuals and teams thrive in adversity by providing practical skills and tools I developed over several decades as a U.S. diplomat in challenging environments. Visit my website to learn more about how I can help you and your team better adapt to stress and adversity. With resilience skills and tools, you and your team will be more creative, innovative, and collaborative. Resilient individuals and teams are less likely to suffer from burnout and are more open to change. Follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

This is Hard! And, That's Okay

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It has been over five months since the World Health Organization declared a global public health emergency, and many of us have been in lockdown for all of this time. We are adapting to a new normal filled with a myriad of stressors. The future is unpredictable, and no one knows when the pandemic will end.

If you are close to or at your breaking point, you are not alone. This is hard! One of the best ways to manage during an extended crisis is to accept how hard it is and give yourself permission to struggle.

If you are feeling vulnerable right now, you are not alone. It's our vulnerabilities and weaknesses that make us human and that will help us get through challenging times.

Here are some suggestions on how to accept your vulnerabilities and weaknesses:

Take Off Your Armor

Many of us are reluctant to show weakness, so we put up a front, trying to appear more courageous or dauntless than we really feel. It's time to stop and take off our mental armor. Pretending we're not negatively impacted by the pandemic takes significant mental energy that erodes resilience over time. Have the courage to be imperfect. Check out Brené Brown’s TED Talk on the power of vulnerability.

Be Authentic

Authenticity is essential for creating sincere connections with other people, a key resilience factor. Let go of who you think you should be and be who you are. If you’re afraid, don’t hesitate to share your fears with others. If you’re sad, express your emotion. If you’re angry, it’s okay to let others know. If you bottle up these negative emotions, it’s harder to connect with others. Suppressed negative emotions will often come out in unpredictable and destructive ways.

You Are Good Enough

Remind yourself that you are good enough to get through this crisis. You are not less capable than anyone else. We are all struggling. If you see others who seem to be thriving despite the pandemic, remind yourself that they might be more vulnerable than they appear.

Ask for Help

It is reasonable to need help during a long-term crisis. Needing help is often a normal reaction to a very abnormal situation. Reach out to trusted friends to talk through your emotions. Consider seeing a mental health professional who can help you work through the impact the pandemic has on your well-being. Many therapists now offer virtual therapy, which can be a lifeline during tough times. 

Focus on Essentials

This is not the time to write your first novel, lose weight, prepare for a marathon, or achieve some other significant personal goal. The pressure to come out of this crisis a better person can have the opposite effect. Focus on your core essentials - a safe home, healthy food, supportive relationships, and immediate financial and health needs. Everything else can wait until this crisis is over.

What are you doing to accept your vulnerabilities and weaknesses?

I help individuals and teams thrive in adversity by providing practical skills and tools I developed over several decades as a U.S. diplomat in challenging environments. Visit my website to learn more about how I can help you and your team better adapt to stress and adversity. With resilience skills and tools, you and your team will be more creative, innovative, and collaborative. Resilient individuals and teams are less likely to suffer from burnout and are more open to change. Follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

You Need Vacation Now More Than Ever

Last week, I should have been packing my bags. I'd been planning a trip to Europe for over a year and was excited about visiting friends and exploring new cities. Instead, the airline canceled my flights, and I'm not permitted to enter most European countries. I'm not sure when I'll be on a plane again.

While it's tempting to keep working and skip summer vacation this year, I feel stress from the coronavirus pandemic. I need time to rest and recover so that I return to work re-energized. I need a vacation.

It is easy to skip summer vacation this year, especially if you've canceled travel plans. A staycation may be less appealing since many of us are at home all the time now. Many of us don't want to take precious annual leave when we can't go anywhere.

The risk of taking this approach and just skipping vacation is that we will wear ourselves down. As a result, we may experience common characteristics of low resilience, such as low energy, irritability, and getting sick. During a crisis, we must maintain high resilience to remain adaptable and flexible despite the adversity. 

Here are some suggestions on how to take a vacation during a global pandemic:

Make It Short

If it feels like a waste of annual leave to take off work without going somewhere, take just a few days that coincide with a weekend or holiday. A four or five day weekend is often enough time to feel refreshed.

Go on Day Trips

Research day trips you can take without risking exposure to the coronavirus. Pack a picnic and have lunch in a park. Hike local trails. Drive through new neighborhoods and look at the homes. Research a small town close by and go exploring.

Play Games

Pull out your old board games or playing cards and declare a game day. If you’re on your own, see if friends or family will join you virtually. Have a tournament with prizes at the end of the day.

Turn Your Home into a Hotel

Create a minibar, give yourself turndown service, and set out a happy hour buffet. Grab a beach towel and sunbathe in your backyard. Give yourself a spa pedicure. Sleep in and "order" a room service breakfast. Treat yourself to unique cocktails and meals you can have delivered.

Movie Binge

Spend a day watching your favorite movies. Think about where you were and who you were with when you first saw each movie.

Travel Back in Time

Spend a day or two reviewing your old travel photos. Consider creating scrapbooks or virtual slideshows for each of your previous trips.

Take a Virtual Trip

Many of the world's most famous tourist attractions have live webcams and video feeds. Select your favorite sites, either from previous trips or places you want to visit, and take a virtual trip to see them.

Read a Travel Book

Immerse yourself in a good travel book for a day or two. Check out this website for the best travel books of all time.

Plan Next Year’s Vacation

Spend some time planning for next year. Research possibilities. Set your dates and map out your itinerary. Anticipation is half the fun when it comes to vacations.

What are you doing for vacation this summer?

I help individuals and teams thrive in adversity by providing practical skills and tools I developed over several decades as a U.S. diplomat in challenging environments. Visit my website to learn more about how I can help you and your team better adapt to stress and adversity. With resilience skills and tools, you and your team will be more creative, innovative, and collaborative. Resilient individuals and teams are less likely to suffer from burnout and are more open to change. Follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Why You Want to Play During a Crisis

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As the coronavirus pandemic continues, many of us are getting worn down from the chronic stress associated with staying healthy, caring for others, worrying about finances, and concern for our futures. While this is a grave crisis, taking out time to be childlike can be one of the best ways to cope with the stress you are experiencing.

According to writer Jared Keller, research shows that people of all ages benefit from unstructured playtime as a respite from the grind of daily life. Playing is when you engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose. Research shows that play can relieve stress, boost creativity, improve brain function, and strengthen our relationships with other people.

Keller reports that play is on the decline in the United States, with negative consequences for kids and adults. A 2011 article in the American Journal of Play shows how much children's playtime has declined, and how its absence in adolescence can lead to behavior issues later in life, including depression and anxiety. 

According to Peter Gray, a professor of psychology at Boston College, children's free play has been in continuous decline due to the belief that children learn best from adults, and free play with other children is a waste of time. He argues that "play, especially social play with other children, serves a variety of developmental functions, all of which promote children's mental health. In the absence of such play, children fail to acquire the social and emotional skills that are essential for healthy psychological development."

In his book Play, psychiatrist Dr. Stuart Brown MD, illustrates that "play is anything but trivial. It is a biological drive as integral to our health as sleep or nutrition. We are designed by nature to flourish through play."

Play is not just important for kids; adults also need to play. “We don’t lose the need for novelty and pleasure as we grow up,” according to Scott G. Eberle, Ph.D., vice president for play studies at The Strong and editor of the American Journal of Play. Play brings joy. And it's vital for problem-solving, creativity, and relationships.

Play does not have consequences in the same way that real life does. When we want to blow off steam, play is an appropriate way we do it without having trouble. Play is how we can explore the world around us, experiment, and try out a new hypothesis without consequence. We can color outside the lines without people telling us the right way to go, without bosses or anybody looking over our shoulder. Play is critical not just for self-discovery and freedom, but also for joy.

Think about what you did as a child that made you happy and try to recreate that activity today. Play during coronavirus could be building a fort in your living room, dressing like a clown, having a pillow fight with family members, putting on a puppet show for friends via Zoom, finger painting, or playing with Legos. Laughter Online University offers even more ideas to experience childlike playfulness as adults.

 During this crisis, re-ignite your inner child. By carving out time in your schedule to play, you'll be boosting your resilience and ability the thrive despite adversity.

Do you play? How does it make you feel?

I help individuals and teams thrive in adversity by providing practical skills and tools I developed over several decades as a U.S. diplomat in challenging environments. Visit my website to learn more about how I can help you and your team better adapt to stress and adversity. With resilience skills and tools, you and your team will be more creative, innovative, and collaborative. Resilient individuals and teams are less likely to suffer from burnout and are more open to change. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter at @payneresilience.