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Leadership Lesson – September 2021: How To Heal From Trauma and Reconnect With Joy

August 31, 2021

This month’s leadership lesson is from Carolyn Kazdan, Aim Lead, Community Coalitions and Nursing Homes. hope concept, hands holding stone with word written on it

How To Heal From Trauma and Reconnect With Joy
Hockey great Wayne Gretzky is often quoted as saying, “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” As healthcare leaders, we are skating towards a future in which our teams have healed from the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are striving to strengthen our cultures and the resiliency of our workforce.

To do this, we need to practice self-care and ensure that we take steps to deal with our COVID-19-related trauma and reconnect with the joys and rewards of career and life. In their book “Why Cope When You Can Heal?: How Healthcare Heroes of COVID-19 Can Recover from PTSD,” authors Mark Goulston and Diana Hendel share strategies for wellness toolboxes, including:

  • Instant relaxation techniques
  • Calming affirmations
  • Anchors
  • Brightening someone’s day
  • Talking about the trauma

For more information on how leaders can cope with and heal from organizational and personal trauma, listen to Quint Studer’s interview with Diana Hendel on his Busy Leader’s Podcast, episode 6, November 2020.