How do you maintain an effective mindset for navigating a longer term lockdown?
The outbreak of Coronavirus has led to extraordinary changes to life as we know it, and there’s been a huge adjustment to negotiate the ‘new normal’. But whilst the chaos and initial scramble to get organised subsides and the first three weeks of lockdown comes to an end, we are now facing a longer, sustained period at home, with ultimately a potential slow and staggered move back to office-based working. It feels apt, therefore, to consider how to transition our mindsets from a quick, reactionary response to a more strategic view on how we can best support people and teams through the next hurdle; long term lockdown. These are 4 important questions for businesses to consider;
With the office culture on pause, how can we recognise who needs support?
Interacting with people in a shared workspace is the glue that holds a team together. You can read body language, understand behaviour and offer face to face support to those that are struggling. Whilst virtual group meetings serve a purpose, it’s a very challenging space for people to reveal their true feelings, miscommunications and frustrations can easily arise online and some voices may be lost as others vie to be heard. These problems only intensify when people log off, when it’s even harder to gauge how people really are.
A designated, small and supportive space for a weekly check in is one solution. Where the work agenda is set firmly aside and people can connect on a human level. A buddy system is also effective, each person has a designated colleague to check in with – this allows a personal connection to develop outside group dynamics.
How can we ensure leaders and managers have the support they need to guide teams through the crisis?
No matter what size business you are part of there is a huge amount of pressure on the senior staff. They’re no doubt working long hours to keep their organisation running, and have a great responsibility over the welfare, management and decisions affecting their teams. It is understandable that this extra strain will cause an increase in stress, anxiety and potential burn out. It’s important that all managers recognise that this is an unprecedented situation, therefore they are not expected to have all the answers.
Developing self-compassion is key to lowering stress levels and maintaining healthy boundaries whilst working from home. Making time to check in with yourself at the start or end of the day is also vital for self-management. Noticing your thoughts, feelings and what’s going on in your body (e.g. tension in the back, a tight chest or feeling ‘wired’) means you can make wiser, more conscious decisions about how you behave and what you need to set yourself up for success. This can be through mindfulness meditation, free writing a ‘brain dump’ on to paper, or simply creating space and switching off all technology to sit and ask yourself ‘How am I today? What’s going on for me?’
How do we build resilience on an individual level whilst navigating a highly challenging situation?
There are many elements at play to help build resilience, research has found the most effective is taking responsibility for looking after yourself i.e. eating healthily, sleep, exercising daily and staying connected. But resilience is also about tolerating uncertainty and managing worry. By accepting what we can’t change we can start focusing on what we can, and this shift in mindset is essential to feel like we are able to cope. We also have a huge internal resource that is often over looked; Our own experience. Most of us have navigated many challenges in the past, and taking a moment to reflect on that can bolster the belief you can manage this current situation. Think of a challenging time and ask; how did you get through it? Which resources helped? Who was most supportive? What did you learn? Importantly you can then ask – which of these could be useful again?
How do we shift out of crisis mode and keep open and creative?
Businesses have responded and adapted to home working at an impressive rate, huge operational changes were made in a matter of days and weeks, that would’ve normally taken months or years. Organisations are establishing new, effective ways of working, but this relies on people staying open, curious and flexible.
However, it is inevitable that stress and anxiety levels will increase. This causes the pre-frontal cortex to close down– the area of the brain that is responsible for problem solving, decision making and open thinking. It’s important therefore at this time to use mindfulness, meditation and techniques to lower our stress response, as well as finding ways to boost our creativity and stay open. Engaging in a creative task not only focuses our attention on to the present moment (in turn reducing feelings of anxiety and stress), but it also stimulates the higher brain promoting adaptable and flexible cognition. You can try hosting a timed drawing challenge with your team at the start of your next meeting, or perhaps freeing up an hour one afternoon to allow employees to pursue their own creative outlet. Cooking, creative writing, dancing, craft making, and photography are just some ideas of how we can get creative and shift how our minds operate.