How Charisma Can Ease the Challenges of Going Back to School Post-Covid
How can you use charisma to meet the challenges of going back to school after months of isolation?
The most important aspects of charisma are presence, power, and warmth. By simply being in the company of others, charisma can help you and those around you overcome any issues you might meet when going back to school.
The challenges will not be the same for everyone. However, most people will probably experience the following when they first step on school grounds:
Stress Around Crowds
Before the pandemic, being in a full classroom or a crowded cafeteria was no big deal.
However, having gotten used to social distancing and no physical contact, seeing so many people in one area might seem weird, even scary.
How Charisma Helps – Engage With Confidence
Keep in mind other people are probably feeling just as awkward, so you are not alone. The fear of infection has trained people to be wary of close contact, so they have a knee-jerk reaction to being around other people. Break down those barriers by acting natural and confident around other people.
Make a point of engaging with one or two small groups of people, telling them stories about your experiences across the last year, and encourage them to do the same. This will put them at ease and set the ball rolling - setting off a domino effect that will help all of you feel more comfortable.
It will not be easy and may take some time for the strategy to show results. Once you have gotten your bearings, however, you will feel more comfortable about socializing again.
The hard part is getting started, so begin with your closest circle of friends and expand outward. You will see the awkwardness easing a little bit every day - just give it some time.
Lack of Focus
You might not have noticed it, but you have gotten used to working alone at home with all its familiar sounds and surroundings.
Coming into a classroom full of other people talking, laughing, and moving around can lead to an overload of input, preventing you from focusing on anything for very long.
How Charisma Helps – Center Yourself
Charismatic people are not immune from distractions. When you find your attention wandering from the person in front of you, make a conscious effort to refocus by being in the moment.
Use centering techniques such as breathing in and out slowly. Note the things you can smell and hear to induce situational awareness. This is a good way to keep your focus on the person or task at hand and to get used to all those distractions in record time.
Inability to Connect With Others
One of the biggest problems you might have when you go back to school is feelings of detachment from others.
This is a defense mechanism because you are in uncharted territory with people with whom you have lost touch - you may feel unmotivated or irritated at the prospect of making connections again. Your school might look very different from how you remember it, so it will take time to adjust to changes in the environment.
How Charisma Helps – Exude Warmth
Dispel that feeling of detachment in yourself by thinking about doing something you enjoy or someone for whom you have affection. You do not need to put on a fake, cheery disposition - times have been tough for us all.
However, taking the time to ask questions about family and friends, or just offering to grab a coffee with someone who may need it - these little things can brighten up someone’s day, and will also help you feel more socially connected and secure as well.
This will make you smile and induce a warm glow in yourself that other people around will be able to feel and respond to in turn. You can be the cheerful fireplace that brings people together and in from the cold.
Put Charisma to Good Use
Whether you have natural or learned charisma, you have the ability to attract, charm, and persuade others to get past the challenges of going back to school post-Covid.
Use those abilities to make the transition as stress-free as possible for your benefit and for those around you.
Leesa Rowland
