“Hope and Fear can’t occupy the same mental space, so invite one in to stay” is something the late poet Maya Angelou used to say. It’s easy to find things to be frustrated, afraid and even angry about right now. There’s an enormous sense of grief floating through our whole world at the moment (below is a link to an article about this). So, what might happen if we acknowledge that fear/grief, while also recognizing this momentous occasion for us to look for hope, gifts, and the opportunity in the crisis. We forget sometimes that we actually get to choose what we pay attention to, how we frame our circumstances, and how much time we allow ourselves to wallow. There is a massive reset going on all around us, within our homes, inside ourselves; it’s a call for a big deep breath, a slowdown, a pause, a time to reflect and to press your own reset button. Give yourself permission to take just one hour and ask the questions, “What is my gift in this slowdown? Am I embracing the uncertainty for all of its creative potential?” There is great wisdom hiding behind the chaos here – sit for a spell and access your inner wisdom. Breathe in, breathe out………and jot down one thing you’re grateful for each day this week.
Notice what you’re doing right that keeps you healthy! We are learning what we need to stop doing to prevent the spread of Coronavirus—social distancing/quarantining—and also the things we need to keep doing to take care of our mental and physical health, while we are in our homes for work, family, fitness, recreation… everything. Focusing on the things you have control over will make the importance of those choices real. Take some time daily to review all the things you did (and didn’t do) that kept you and your loved ones healthy and safe. Pick a time, before bed or in the early part of your day, to notice and give yourself credit for the little wins. Did you limit yourself to a walk where there were less people? Awesome! Did you say no to that thousandth trip to the fridge out of boredom? Great work! Did you check in on someone you care about, or take a break if you feel checked out? Nicely done! Keep noticing what you’re doing right… and keep it up!
Remote Team Management: You may have noticed that most of our Tuesday Tips focus on the self, the leader inside, the internal management of mind, emotion, spirit. It just so happens that leading remote teams is all about that too…helping people learn to manage themselves. To manage well at the office, we’re usually focused on projects, processes, outcomes and meetings. All of that exists in remote management, but the people focus takes even more effort and energy than before; kicking it up a notch in terms of finding ways to connect, engage, and inspire the individuals on your team. To ensure your team is caring for themselves while working remotely, ask a lot more questions. Start meetings off with everyone sharing one thing they did to care for themselves today or set up little challenges where teammates take a picture of something in their “office” really close up and see if others can recognize what it is. Don’t underestimate the power of these little, fun activities to keep connection and engagement alive. https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief
Please let us know if you find any of these to be helpful and share how you put them into practice. Also, if you have a tip to offer, please let us know and we will include it in a future email or video.
We wish for you to find your special ways to thrive through this unprecedented time.
May You Be Well –
