The Downfall of my Local Union : The G L A D Technique

Back in therapy after decades of living without guidance or the objective distance of an outside practitioner. We started with the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique.

At a Glance
Feeling anxious or overwhelmed? This technique can help. All you have to do is identify:

• 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can feel
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste

This simple yet powerful exercise uses your senses to anchor you in the present moment, helping you find some calm amidst the chaos.

During this past session he shared the G-L-A-D technique for finding joy and balance.

• Gratitude: Reflect on something you are thankful for today, such as basic needs or meaningful relationships.

• Learning: Note one thing you learned today whether about yourself or others.

• Accomplishment: Acknowledge one small accomplishment that positively impacted your day.

• Delight: Recognize one element of delight that brought you joy, like a beautiful sight or a kind gesture.
  This technique encourages individuals to focus on positive aspects of their lives, helping to shift their mindset and reduce negative thoughts.

I'm not sure exactly how I am to use this technique in my writing. Should all of these feelings/actions be focused on a single subject or should I look at four different things that occurred that evoked each one independently of the others?

I'm thinking of something that happened to me just this past week. I work as a union steward at a very large federal agency. I protect labor from the bad behavior of managers and supervisors and service chiefs. This past week, the Cheeto enforced Executive Order (EO) 14055 that pretty much kills our contract of rules that protect labor.

VA Terminates Federal Union Contracts: What To Know - Newsweek

Is there anything for which I should be grateful during this sh*t show? Actually, there are a few points. I am reminded of the original job in healthcare for which I went to school. While I was defending the rights of workers against the bullies in management, I had lost sight of what works I had done before. I am grateful that I was never removed from the ranks of the service (I am a nurse), that I have opportunities to keep my skills current and up-to-date, and to have a job that I can go back to with minimal remediation.

The aspect of 'learning' during this transformation is something that I am reluctant to admit. I have been told that 'these people' (employees who are not labor, but rather management) are not your friends. This also includes human resources. They call you their 'union partners', but they would be happy to throw you under the bus. I prefer to think that their hands are tied, and they have to follow orders, but I have learned there are some who are too eager to just have us trampled upon and gone from the building.

These thoughts and accusations against management are the strong sentiments of union leaders. I think what they want to instill is a sense that we are in the midst of a struggle and in this struggle, one should not try to rely perceived bridges that were built in the past. "These are not your friends."

There must be a more exacting term for this. In part I have learned it, but in another part, I don't care to believe it. Maybe I will follow it, but I will not encourage others to carry this ill-will with them.

The biggest accomplishment was cleaning up the office. The job included packing boxes of files or taking files to the shredder. Shredding documents is not a fun activity. Each file is a work of action that that describes the beginning to end activity of supporting a worker against a cruelty forced upon him/her by someone in power.

Delight? The room will be left empty. I will have to return the key. Our union's name was physically removed from the doors. Where is there any delight in any of this? I am struggling with this and think that maybe this exercise is not being done the way it is meant to be done. I will be facing my peers, and they will be asking me why they should continue to pay for a union that is ousted. Does that sound like delight? There is something that is positive about this new role I will have to undertake. I must be an advocate for union support. And even though things seem grim, there are training skills within me that allow me to be(come) persuasive in the battle against perceived evil. Of course, most of this cannot be said during working hours because we are Cheeto's enemy.

I will probably try this technique at a later time to see if there are ways to make it work effectively.