Returning to Baseline (again... and again...)

I’ve just felt a little off-center this past month. Some things have come up in my personal life that have thrown me a bit. I'm feeling a little shaken as I learn about Internal Family Systems (IFS) and digging deeper into some of the choices I make. I’ve also intentionally put myself in a beginner’s role in a few areas of my life. After two decades of being a well-respected teacher, I’m now a beginner at corporate consulting—learning marketing, sales, and business development. I’m also a beginner at Taekwondo, practicing in a room with black belts...from high school students to people in their 60s who’ve been training their whole lives. There’s so much to learn, and so many mistakes to make.

Maybe you can relate? Those times when you feel like you’re off your game and just trying to manage the overwhelm and get back to baseline.

Sometimes my coaching clients feel a little off-center. They might be coming to terms with a new diagnosis, and it’s bringing a flood of old patterns and behaviors up for reexamination. Others have hit their personal threshold of overwhelm and feel frozen. Some are coming out of a long “meltdown” phase, trying to find themselves again...or maybe for the first time.

And you might not even know this is happening with someone on your team. Maybe they’re so good at masking or pushing through that you don’t recognize the signs of overwhelm—until they can’t take it anymore. And by then, it might show up as an emotional moment at work… or a quiet decision to leave.

Here’s what I teach when people are feeling off:

At the very minimum, what do you need to do to have a baseline successful day?

Not your ideal day. Not your most productive day. Just the minimum.

Here are a couple of things on my personal list:

1. Morning journaling. Oddly, for someone who doesn’t love writing, I really look forward to getting up earlier than everyone else and getting my thoughts out. Even if just for a few minutes.
2. Cyclical breathing breaks throughout the day. They’re short, they’re easy, and they’re active. It makes me feel like I’ve done something good for my mental health.
3. A walk outside. Even a few minutes just to feel the air on my face.
4. Prioritizing the top things I must get done for work—and time-blocking them.

And... surprise! Here’s what doesn’t make my baseline list: Meditation.

I have an app I love. I know it’s good for me. But on some days, I just can’t make myself stop moving and do it. And that’s okay. My baseline list has to be healthy and achievable. So, how about you? I bet your list looks different from mine.

Maybe just pause for a minute and ask...What are the small but meaningful things that help you feel like you’ve had a baseline successful day?

And how can you use this strategy to support your team members who may be struggling whether it's visible or invisible?