Where I have added the roller coaster loops – I have done so to represent the wild ups and downs (dynamics) some of us are experiencing when dramatic, uncontrollable change occurs to us (such as COVID-19).  

The upward dynamics that are green, represent seemingly “positive” emotions – on the upside of the stage and individual is at in the original change curve. 

The yellow dynamic, represents an upside of a stage that can imply that for this same individual, things are “okay” (though not overtly positive or negative).

Where you see a dip below the surface of any stage, it represents a negative trend towards emotions that we feel but are not able to label. 

Of course, some of us may be able to guess at these emotions and many psychologists are sharing their perspectives on what some of those emotions might be – including loss, grief, stress, anxiety, frustration and so much more. 

The reason I am proposing that we illustrate these emotions along the right side of this curve is because the traditional model of this Change Curve (as I understand it) indicates that we move through, beyond and rise above the “valley of despair or depression” as part of a natural progress towards accepting and committing to the change. Yes, it has been stated that we can slide back and forth but generally speaking we stay above the curve and progress upwards through it.  

In my own observations however (studying Human Behavior and Coaching others) not all of us are responding or normalizing that way. We are not just backsliding, we are traversing an extraordinarily irregular roller coast ride atop a volcanic melting pot of emotions related to MANY changes at the exact same time.  Therefore we are feeling too much and are unable to label let alone address them.

We are all trying – yes, but we are taking both shallow and deep dives into those chaotic, negative feelings almost simultaneously in many areas of our life. It’s erratic and for some of us terrifying. It’s beyond the norm and therefore the normal approach to dealing is also out of reach.  

This to me also helps illustrate why the change we are experiencing now – needs new responses.

How do we adapt, in the moment, to a sudden dive below the surface?

How do we do the same for all the different changes that are happening simultaneously (such as loss, grief, professional changes, lifestyle changes, social changes, future uncertainties and so much more)? Responding to one big change would work fine with our traditional approaches – maybe not so for many all at once. 

And what if, we had pre-existing mental health issues before all this happened? *This is what keeps me up at night. This is why this is on my mind. I am no stranger to mental health matters. They are real and they can be debilitating on normal days, in normal situations. Where does this leave people with MH issues today?

It is tricky to say the least. I am no longer convinced there are easy answers here.

I believe we may benefit from exploring where we are on the change curve and the roller coaster for each area that we experiencing change with (think wheel of life for a visual). I believe we may need to draw a new illustration to visualize each. I suspect each may be different. I believe we need to label the unique emotions we are experiencing under the surface in each area we are impacted in and only then can we properly assess our options to respond and the goals or directions to set going forward. 

We also need to learn from this experience; not hoping it will go away and never return. We need to know what new techniques work well for which types of changes so that we can build a repository for ourselves to respond better should something like this happen in that area of life again. 

I suspect we can do the same for our families, loved ones, teams and organizations as well. This will be my next step. To test these beliefs and encourage others to do the same.