Surge capacity and acedia

September 22, 2020

SURGE CAPACITY AND ACEDIA

By Sally Denham-Vaughan

This year started in a frightening and tragic way as we watched millions of acres of Australia burn. Huge bush fires raged, and the land was ravaged. I have images in my head of people stuck at the edge of beaches fearing for their lives, homes destroyed, animals burnt to death.

Shortly after, England was flooded. As we dried out in February, we learnt of a strange new virus breaking out in Wuhan, China.

Six weeks later we followed our European friends, as our government announced a lockdown that lasted from 23rd March to 4th July. Then we moved from co-ordinated government-led action to a sense of individualised risk-taking, depending on personal assessment of vulnerability, need/desire to leave the house, and known level of COVID in the community. (I use the term 'known' loosely since the Track and Trace system in England was trialled, failed and relaunched all within a month). Meanwhile, colleagues and friends around the world grapple with a huge range of COVID responses from almost zero lockdown to strict ongoing restrictions.

Climate change continues, economies are fragile, political corruption abounds, protests dominate the news, the biggest non-nuclear explosion ever destroys the centre of Beirut, People of Colour are murdered by police, and social divisions increase.

2020. And we still have nearly a third of the year to go.

In this context, I consider 'surge capacity', a planning tool offering a “measurable representation of ability to manage a sudden influx”. I think of this on a personal level as how 'spacious' I am, or how wide is my window of tolerance.

Measurable surge capacity, however, relates to how long we might reasonably be expected to deal with increased and ongoing demand for a response over and above normal. The answer, in the case of a person, lies somewhere in the region of 12 weeks, this being at the outer edge of the length of time that exceptional behaviours start to become habits (Lally et al, 2009).

So we have exhausted surge capacity, and instead I see the rise of a new state of being called acedia, meaning listlessness or without care. Wikipedia tells me this relates to an erosion of the spirit, and can be connected to depression. I sense it lurking out there on the edge of my psyche, like a tiger in the grass, just waiting for an unsuspecting moment to pounce.

Is it just me or is the world getting worse? What about you?

In our Relational Change Gathering on November 25th, we will be meeting online to discuss 2020 and where we find ourselves personally and professionally. We will use the SOS model to review the year and sense its impact on our Presence. We aim for the day to be a facilitated experiential inquiry that will offer a space for reflection, connection and support. We believe the gathering will enjoyable and useful, whether you work in OD, clinical or other settings. Please join us!

And below, you'll find an outline of the trainings and webinars we have scheduled so far for the coming months...

SUPERVISION: A RELATIONAL CHANGE PROCESS

Starts January 2021 | ONLINE
(fully or partially)

CERTIFICATE/DIPLOMA PROGRAMME
Tutors: Lynda Osborne, Sally Denham-Vaughan & Marie-Anne Chidiac

This ten day course spread over 9 months is UKCP (HIPC) recognised, meets BACP standards and is suitable for psychotherapists, counsellors and organisational practitioners with at least 2 years experience, wishing to be accredited to supervise others. UKCP members who complete the diploma can go straight onto the HIPC supervisors directory.

SUPERVISION OF TRAUMA

In response to demand, we are planning to run a specialist module in 2021 for supervisors who would like to build on their skills and knowledge in working with trauma. For more info and to register your interest, please email Miriam Taylor.