The start of a new year is usually filled with hope and great expectations. It’s a time when people make grand resolutions and map out plans to accomplish their goals. But for the past two years the feeling of uncertainty stemming from the covid19 pandemic has put a damper on the aspirations of many people. The uncertainty of job and food security, the pulling and tugging surrounding the re-opening of physical schools, and the doubts regarding life in general have left a question mark over the potential of a promising 2022.
“When you hear the word uncertainty, emotions like fear, anxiety, confusion, and feeling overwhelmed usually surface. These emotions prevent us from thinking clearly at a time when we need to be thinking clearly,” emotional and conversational intelligence coach, Judy Joseph Mc Sween told Sunday Newsday.
But, she said, with the right process and application, it is possible to successfully manage and navigate through the uncertainty that is 2022.
“I call all my programmes ‘time out’ programmes and I refer to myself as a time out specialist…As a certified emotional intelligence coach I help people understand how to use and manage their own emotions in positive ways – one of the critical elements of managing through uncertainty. As a certified conversational intelligence coach I help people recognise the impact how they phrase their words can have on other people.”
Joseph Mc Sween formally stepped away from corporate life in 2010, to do what she had been doing on a part time basis since 2002 – coaching, workshops and retreats for individuals and corporate Trinidad and Tobago.
[caption id="attachment_932559" align="alignnone" width="640"] Judy Joseph Mc Sween, emotional and conversational intelligence coach. Photo courtesy Judy Joseph Mc Sween -[/caption]
“I now experience corporate life vicariously through my clients. I don’t think it would have allowed me to be my best self and tap into all the talents that I have.
She said the first step in the navigation process is to be “fully present in the moment” by being fully aware of what is happening around us. A good way to accomplish this is through meditation.
“I've been meditating for a number of years, and I meditate from the Christian dimension so it is considered a form of prayer. I sit in silence twice a day for a minimum for 20 minutes. Over the years I’ve learned that it's not so much about the silence, but it's more about the discipline of making the time for the silence.
"Once I do that every day I find myself very grounded, very centred, very peaceful, less anxious, so when things are unfolding that could be upsetting I use the opportunity to just pause in the moment before I respond. And that practice is so critical to the outcome of how you manage that uncertainty.”
This, she said, also helps form a connection to the inner self, free from distractions and she recommends it to everyone.
[caption id="attachment_932540" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A woman runs at Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain. Find positive t
