Game, set & match against Corona

It has been 5 weeks that we are facing our opponent and we don't even know how our next match will look like. No one was mentally prepared to play this match because we were taken by surprise. The government talked first about a simple flu, kind of easy opponent, the one we know we can beat because we know how to play it. But in fact, we underestimated our new opponent. And trust me, this is the worst thing we can do, underestimate our opponent...These are a few "food for thought" that I would like to share with you.

Thought 1: From every situation, we can learn something; it's an opportunity we can grab to be better the next time. This is how we can build resilience. Learn from situation to improve and get better for the next match. During these five weeks, I have seen great tips & tricks to help people physically, mentally & emotionally. The motto "Sharing is caring"is more than ever present; this is the kind of support we need to improve & build our resilience.

On the other end, when I am watching the news (I do it twice a day) or watch/read social media, there is also the other side of the medal. There are always interesting articles or news you can read and I keep close contact with my friends. But on the other end, 70% of the posts and information that I get are also negative especially on twitter. Everybody has a comment on everything and let's be honest: more critics than solutions. I guess some people's mind looks more like a devil's advocate than an angel's advocate... I can easily compare it with myself, playing my tennis match and complaining on everything: too much noise, too hot, too cold, too much sun, too much wind, umpire not fair to me, opponent not sportive, opponent taking too much time between the point, and so on and so on ... And I wouldn't get better. Because at the end of the day, I have ZERO impact on them. So I am spending most of my time doing things giving me positive energy. Fortunately, there are also positive things ont the internet & news giving us energy.

Thought 2: The only thing I have impact on is: MYSELF. It's my choice to put my energy where I want to. It costs you as much energy to put your focus on the negative things (problems) as to put your focus on the positive things (solutions). But at the end of the day, which one makes you feel better? Focus on things you can change instead on things you cannot change. Mental flexibility & positive thinking are very important during this period. A little tip that I would like to share with you is: make a list of things that costs you energy and see which one you can cross out or do less and take action! It has a huge impact on your mental health.

But the next match is coming and we need to prepare ourself more than ever mentally. This is where the battle will be played. So when I heard which experts would be in the group for the "Exit strategy", I missed 2 kinds of expertise in the group: psychology & communication. You have experts in virology, sciences, trade, economic, social services but no one from the mental health sector neither form the communication... People need to get the right support on the mental part, we need to reinforce it to be able to resist. We are in a crisis and so far we were able to adapt to this situation but what about the next match? Once again, we will need to adapt again . It means without mental resilience, the right emotional balance and a physical strength, we might face serious health problems.

Thought 3: By any change, we have to enlarge our confort zone, that's a fact. This is not confortable and we need to adapt. What I have learned out of my tennis career when I was dealing with new changes, I needed those key points:

• It has to make sense: here no doubt about it because it's all about our life.
• Get the right support especially on the human aspect (important question to ask to yourself is: which kind of support do I need?). We are no robots, we have been trough a difficult period and what's coming next won't be easy.
• The world has changed and it will never be the same again. This is a great opportunity to change our perspective & habits and FOCUS on what's really important to us: spending time with people we care (quality instead of quantity) but also keeping new habits like less travel => more virtual meetings, more teleworking => instead of going back all week to the office.
• Last but not least, "crystal clear communication is key"! What is going to change and how it's going to happen, an action plan that we understand (no grey zone) is crucial to reassure the people.

And remember...