We are living today like we have never lived before. We are experiencing unprecedented change, the way in which we socialize and interact with others has been disrupted, and we are having to adapt and cope with changing provincial and federal recommendations daily. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, and it is the unknown that often causes the fear and anxiety that so many of us are feeling. The different world that we are living in today however, does not have to be disastrous. We have an opportunity here to develop skill sets and coping mechanisms that have never been tested. They say that with great change, comes great opportunity; therefore, let’s focus our efforts on the opportunities and come out the other side, better and more equipped than ever before.
Change
Change is hard. Humans are creatures of habit and when those habits are so severely disrupted, it causes deep frustration and anxiety. In times of great change, it is important to focus on the things that we can still control – our nutrition, our movement, our sleep, our time, and our mindset. Continue to fuel your bodies with the best nutrition that you can and move daily. Go for a walk. Do some at home fitness. Increase your heartrate. Sleep too can stay regular. Continue to go to bed at your regular times and implement the same pre-work morning routines. Your day may look different, but you do still have control over your time. If you are now working remotely, you can schedule your regular coffee breaks and lunch break into your day. If you are not working for the time being, you can create a daily time-table for yourself with projects or initiatives that you have been putting off. Most importantly, you do still have control over your mindset. You get to decide what you think about the current global situation. You get to decide to believe that things are going to be ok. You still have control over your thoughts. Choose optimism today, and every day.
Productivity
In times of change and uncertainty, we can find ourselves thinking about all the things we can no longer do (go to the office, get to the gym, go visit family, go to public events etc..) instead of doing all of things that we can still do. We can still be productive in this time of social distancing. Leveraging video conference calls is the perfect way to stay connected with colleagues and customers. Allocating time in the morning, at lunch, or at the end of the work day to do some sort of daily movement (run, walk, burpees, air squats etc..) will keep you on track to meet your fitness goals. Calling family members and getting creative with virtual book clubs or movie nights can keep your social calendar as lively as ever before. We are fortunate to be living in a digital era where technology gives us the power to stay connected, regardless of location. Now is the time to put that technology to the test to ensure that we can continue to be as productive as possible.
Working from Home
With the drive to keep people safe, many organizations are looking to have their employees work from home. With this move comes great change both for the organizations themselves and for employees. The technology required to stand-up the infrastructure and client resources to enable work from home productivity is one piece of the puzzle. The other pieces include creating a clutter-free and quiet workspace in one’s home and creating a schedule of priorities to follow. Find a room in your house that allows you to sit quietly with your PC and phone. Remove any unnecessary distractions, including a TV. At the beginning of each day or at the end of each day, create a schedule of priorities that will keep you focused for the day or following day. This schedule of priorities should act as your guide as you move through your workday. If you find yourself doing things that are not in alignment with your schedule of priorities, shift your focus back to what you decided needed to get done. Working from home can even be more productive than working in the office; however, you must choose to stay focused on the work at hand.
Resilience
Let’s talk about resilience; particularly, psychological resilience. Psychological resilience is the ability to mentally or emotionally cope with a crisis or to return to pre-crisis status quickly. Resilience exists when the person uses "mental processes and behaviors in promoting personal assets and protecting self from the potential negative effects of stressors". In order to be psychologically resilient in times of uncertainty, we must focus on the things that we can control (see above; change) and believe in the power of our own actions. Most importantly, we must choose to be resilient. We can take two individuals facing the same problem (ie. any two individuals living through the COVID-19 crisis today) and these two individuals could have completely opposite reactions based on the way they choose to cope. The choice is ours to make.
Let each of us rise to the challenge of responding positively to the changes of today so that we can shape the tomorrow that has yet to come. Your thoughts drive your words, your words drive your actions, and your actions create the reality that you have chosen for yourself. So, eat that salad. Go for that run. Complete those projects for work. Call your customers. Stay connected with your friends and family. Sleep your 8 hours. Rise up - for today is here and tomorrow is never guaranteed.
Nikki xoxo