Five ways to stay calm and focused at work during times of crisis Viewpoint careers advice blog

Five ways to stay calm and focused at work during times of crisis We are all currently facing new and unexpected challenges, challenges which are touching every part of our lives. The news is a constant stream which can feed anxiety and apprehension. We have little control over the events going on in the outside world, many of our usual support systems have been replaced by remote support, and we are worried about satisfying our basic needs of food and supplies. On top of this, many people have additional demands at the moment, juggling childcare, providing support for elderly or vulnerable relatives or neighbours… and trying to get into new routines of working from home. These factors can easily put us into a ‘threat’ response â€" we feel overwhelmed, we find it hard to focus, we are sensitive to criticism and frightened of making mistakes. It’s hard to operate like this â€" we need to find ways to ‘keep calm and not panic!’ Here are five simple tactics that you can try for yourself, and you can also encourage others to try. Reset your mindset. It’s easy to get sucked into focusing on the problems and to feel helpless. Often, we reinforce this by the messages and language we say inside our heads which look at all the things we can’t do â€" rather than the things that we can For example, you could try changing ‘I will be stuck at home’ to ‘I am safe at home and helping to keep others safe too’. Instead of ‘I will get ill’, think ‘by keeping social distance and washing my hands regularly I am keeping as healthy as possible’. From a work point of view, you could try replacing ‘I feel cut off from the rest of my team’ with ‘I am finding new ways of connecting and communicating with my colleagues’. Seek support. You may not be able to meet up with friends, family or colleagues, but you can still lean on them for support. Talking with others about how you’re feeling can help you to process what’s going on and reach some conclusions on what it means to you and how you want to respond. You don’t need to wait for others to make the first move â€" be proactive, pick up the phone, ask other people how they’re feeling and be willing to share how you really are. You are also part of the support network for other people â€" so be there for them! There are also lots of organisations which are offering tailored advice, providing support with ideas, networks and information. Have a look at these and let friends, family and colleagues know where they can find support too. Take control. If you find yourself feeling anxious, stressed, or less than calm then stop and think about what in particular triggers you to feel like this? Once you have identified these, you can think how to adapt and take control of them. If, for example, watching the news makes you feel anxious, then make sure you limit how often you view it, and turn off any push notifications on your phone â€" rather than feeding your anxiety by constantly checking it. If your main worry is about running out of food, take stock on what food you have in the house and decide how many days food it is reasonable for you to have in stock â€" as long as you have that much, you don’t need to worry. If you worry that your manager will phone you when you’re doing something with the kids, then talk to them up front and agree some ground rules about when you will be available and how you plan to manage your work hours and your childcare. Look after yourself. We all need to be proactive in looking after ourselves. Think about the simple steps you can take to look after yourself and stay mentally and physically healthy and to build your resilience. This may involve eating well, exercising, practicing mindfulness or talking with friends every day. There are lots of online exercise clubs available and it can be a great way to meet new people too! We are hearing lots of great examples of teams who are helping each other to keep healthy. There are lunch and learn sessions, team exercise classes, tea breaks and ‘show and tell’. Talk with your colleagues and agree some simple ways in which you can look after yourselves and each other. Share good news. There have been some amazing stories of kindness, generosity and appreciation over the last few weeks. We need to actively spread these good news stories â€" they are a wonderful antidote to the trauma that we’re all experiencing. Get involved in acts of kindness or volunteering in the community if you can. Find ways of sharing good news with colleagues â€" for example, new innovations, improvements to work processes, personal achievements… make sure to look for and spread the positive news as much as you share the tough stuff. Your organisation may also be doing things that are helping in the COVID-19 fight â€" tell people about it, be proud! Practising these tips is really important right now in your home life and your work life â€" but these are great habits beyond the COVID-19 crisis â€" they will help you throughout life. Did you find this blog useful? Here is some  related content  that you might find helpful during this difficult time: How to stop yourself from overworking when in lockdown How to upskill when youre self-isolating How to be super productive when working from home Become more mindful, inside and outside of work How to have a mentally healthy relationship with technology Eight questions to ask yourself when leading remotely How to engage and motivate your team remotely