It’s critical (for our spiritual and mental well-being) to reflect on the positive take away(s) and to recognize how important the power of interpretation and perception is for a ‘cup half full’ attitude.
The ‘new normal’ is getting old. It’s been almost one year since our children came home for March Break and didn’t return to school until September, and now our upcoming March break has been moved to mid-April – not to mention that any winter getaway travel destinations are as dead as the Dead Sea.
Put on ‘one hat’ at a time whenever possible. Some of the best ideas, problem-solving and self-care strategies come when the screens are put down. Watch a comedy. Happily yell “Excellent!” when you spill your coffee. Set up an awesome long-term workstation for yourself. I dare you to put a little salmon oil in your protein shake. Don’t suffer alone if you need more support – call your Doctor.
This past year has been anything but normal for our children, and for working parents. Our children have had to learn to be flexible, resilient and patient. Parents have had to adjust to e-learning, rearrange work schedules, find a balance of remote work with children at home, and be ready with Plan A, B and C to be able to adjust to last minute Government announcements.
Although many of us are considered to be bubbly and upbeat business professionals, the stressors and uncertainties from the pandemic can knock down even the most positive of individuals. It can also be further argued that those who possess stronger empathetic tendencies have sunk to all-time lows due to the insurmountable concerns to do with the suffering and safety of so many. Top that off with our ever-diminishing social circles and taking the “human” interaction out of our human resources, it’s not surprising that most of us are not at our best right now!
I know what you’re thinking – mental health awareness week has past, and we’ve been reading over and over that “It’s OK to say you’re not OK.” Perhaps for some of us we took something from those publishing’s and it’s been helping us in some way. For others however it’s not that easy. Here are some things we can do that you might have not yet done or maybe it’s a reminder of what you need to do (again).
We all know what it feels like to be angry. Some have asked how HR can possibly be happy all of the time. The truth is we’re not- It’s up to each of us to decide how to react and manage our emotions in a professional environment- or in any given environment.
Covid-19 has dramatically changed how we work… and where! Some of the changes are obvious, and many of us are still working from home or at least somewhat differently than we were before. What about the future though? What aspects of our workplace are we missing and what may be forever changed?
Let’s take a closer look specifically at two scenarios arising for employers and employees that are continuing to work at their workplaces. Firstly, employees are not wanting to work because they feel that their employer is not keeping them safe. Secondly, employees are not wanting to work because they don’t feel comfortable in general about Covid-19.
All of our lives have changed dramatically in a short period of time. We need to remind ourselves that this is temporary and to be kind not just others – but to be kind to ourselves too. Let’s recall some simple ways to help relieve some of our stress.
