Leading without Labels

I admire the empowering River Island Marketing Campaign launched in February 2018. It has a social conscience, celebrating love and diversity amongst people. The key message: 'Labels are for clothes, not people'. It reminds us of the pitfalls associated with labelling people.

USEFUL LABELS

Human beings like giving things labels. It helps us understand and make meaning of our world. We communicate better when we use universal names for objects - especially in a work environment.

Imagine going to work to discover everyone using a different name for email, computer, or phone. Labelling things without a heartbeat or emotions, in a way we all understand, is useful.

Labels are also useful in the workplace to help people communicate what's important to them - their values, beliefs, morals, and ethics. It's how we distinguish between our rights and our wrongs, our likes, and our dislikes, our good and our bad habits.

And when labels are used by people in work as a force for good, they make valuable communication aids. Particularly when the intent is to make positive connections and interactions with others.

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JUDGEMENT LABELS

Environment and context play a huge part in how we respond to particular events and circumstances. Our attitudes and actions towards others are governed by our values and beliefs. Fluctuations in our emotional state determine how willing we are to take on other people's points of view. It's how we form opinions about others.

Humans tend to automatically judge someone else's behaviour on how they see the world. That does not automatically mean the world is as they see it. Views can be inaccurate because people over generalise, distort reality, or delete information to suit their own point of view. They put Judgement Labels on people.

Judgement labels can be positive or negative. They are names or descriptors that originate from opinions. The ones we form when observing someone else's behaviour. When we assign judgement labels to people they get embedded into our unconscious mind and they become our reference points. We start to believe in their authenticity. We develop cognitive bias and consequently look for, or notice behaviours in those we have labelled to reinforce that belief. Even though we may not always consciously realise it, we start to believe the labels we give to people. We let them define them.

In a work environment, people at all levels of the organisation can fall into the trap of using judgement labels.

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WORKING WITH LABELS

Some years back, I ran a hotel. The newly appointed Head Chef was struggling to get support from his second in command. On paper there was no reason why this should be the case. They both had complementary personal strengths and skills. Yet judgement labels were being hit to and fro, like a tennis ball in a Singles Championship Rally,

Pop "He's a poor listener"

'Thwack "She' s too stubborn, unwilling to change"

Pop! "He's very impatient and never gives me enough time to consider things!"

Thwack "She's lazy and got no sense of urgency!"

Backhanded comments went back and forth as they tried to hold serve, avoid forced errors and dodge disadvantages.

The games they played had a detrimental effect on their work and their relationship. Their behaviour also had a negative impact on their fellow colleagues. The mood dipped across the team.

What's interesting about this story is how judgement labels quickly escalated and created major conflict. And where there's conflict, Judgement Labels turn into Negative Labels.

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NEGATIVE LABELS

Negative labels are destructive. They are the words and phrases people use to describe another person or their behaviour when there is an unresolved conflict. The ones we give to others when they do something we don't like, or we cannot seem to reason. Who we believe are making our lives difficult for no apparent reason. Who respond to our point of view in a way we believe to be unwelcome or unjust.

There are two types of negative labels. Visible Negative Labels and Invisible Negative Labels. Visible Negative Labels are the destructive one’s people openly give us. We are aware of their existence. They are the ones people say to our face, that we believe are false and undermine our character. We usually have an immediate opportunity to respond to these types of labels.

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INVISIBLE NEGATIVE LABELS

The second type of negative labels are Invisible Negative Labels. These are the worst type of labels. The type people may give to others when they are not present. If you have a label like this, you will almost definitely be the last person to know.

People who choose to use invisible negative labels often favour resignation over resolution. They do not work at building strong positive relationships; they give up on them. Moaning about the situation to others rather than looking for an opportunity to repair the relationship. Unwilling to meet that person in their world in the interest of mutual well-being.

At their worst, Invisible Negative Labels are given intentionally. They are used to gather support from others in a group to pigeonhole, stereotype or socially exclude an individual. This is of course a defence mechanism, an attempt to protect themselves from a perceived threat or harm from the person they have labelled. A vehicle to convince them that they are not the cause of the problem. When the truth is, they are part of it.

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LOADED LABELS

This is what happened with the Head Chef and his deputy. The judgement labels turned into negative labels.

As their differences grew, the deputy led a behind the scenes campaign and gained favour with the Kitchen Team. By repeatedly pinning invisible negative labels on the Head Chef, the brigade developed the belief “He's the problem".

When the Head Chef eventually became aware of what was being said about him, he took a defensive position. He overcompensated and became overly accommodating to all the team's requests. Where he earned an additional label "he's a pushover".

As the negative labels flew around the Kitchen, the talented Head Chef started to feel like he did not belong. The conflict and social rejection, born out of negative labelling, had a huge impact on his self-esteem and his mental health deteriorated. He reached breaking point.

The deputy wasn't feeling much better either. Even though she had managed to gain favour with the team, she was also fielding increasing complaints about the Head Chef. Ones that replicated the exact negative labels she had assigned to him. "He's a poor listener, impatient, inconsiderate, the problem and a pushover'. I call these loaded labels.

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LOADED LABELS AND LOSS

Once negative and loaded labels have been assigned to people, human beings often look for ways to re-enforce them to validate their own point of view. It can prevent us from discovering personal strengths and attractive qualities in others. When we use negative labels, we miss so much about a person. Unconsciously we close ourselves off from their point of view. Reducing our ability to learn from each other. We look for behaviours that support the negative labels. Removing opportunities for positive outcomes. Limiting ways to grow together for the benefit of mutual well-being.

The sadness of the Kitchen drama was neither the Head Chef or his deputy were initially willing to consider or respect each other's point of view. Unwilling to acknowledge their own perceptions might not be reality.

It's human nature for us to look for easy options and quick fixes to solve our problems. That's why it's easier and quicker to assign labels to people than it is to explore the validity of our own beliefs and perceptions. Whilst humans naturally look for the easy route, it doesn't always mean it is the right route.

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MAKING LASTING CONNECTIONS

Beliefs and perception are our own version of the truth but that does not mean they are reality. To relate well to others, we must embrace cognitive diversity. Accept our interpretation of events are often translated differently by others. Be open to the possibility that our own thinking may be distorted. Seek first to understand others and accommodate our differences. This is how we make lasting human connections. How we all gain social belonging and mutual well-being.

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LEADERSHIP WITHOUT LABELS

The story in this article demonstrates how negative labelling becomes destructive in work relationships. How it can stop strong, close, and positive bonds from developing at work. Achieving the exact opposite to what everyone in the working population hopes for - to be appreciated for their contributions and feel like they belong.

You are not alone if you have found yourself in a difficult relationship at work and negative labels are being used. You might be experiencing it now.

These labels are generalisations and distortions. They are destructive, unhelpful beliefs that will push your work relationships into a downward spiral.

People are complex beings and we don't need fixing. The strategies we use sometimes do. We require some latitude to explore how each other thinks and feels to understand the reasons behind our respective behaviours. By embracing cognitive diversity, we are open to see the world from the perspective of others. This helps us decide how to act in a respectful way towards each other. How to develop and achieve common goals.

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COLLABORATIVE CONVERSATIONS

Back in the hotel kitchen, the Head Chef and his deputy took a big step back. They realised the situation was getting worse for them and the rest of the team. Something had to change.

Together they acknowledged the presence of cognitive diversity. Through collaborative conversation they removed the negative labels.

As the label disappeared, they both realised they would be better off playing a different game. A team sport where the goal was to stand together on the podium of success, rather than alone. They began to work through their differences. Develop joint strategies on how best to lead the Kitchen operation and team. They put 'team glory' ahead of 'personal glory'.

For the first time, they saw each other through a different lens. Inviting each other to play to their strengths. The ultimate reward was job satisfaction, team spirit and great customer feedback.

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If you are having difficult relations with someone at work, embrace your differences. Get rid of the negative labels and get your FREE How to have Collaborative Conversations Guide here.

© ROOTBALL Coaching & Consultancy Ltd. All rights reserved, 2020.

Uplifting Leadership at Work - Part 2

In Part One of Uplifting Leadership for Mental Health and Well-being, we discovered we are not that different from astronauts in Space. We too need to adjust to new surroundings and to being away from colleagues, family and friends during COVID-19.

We also discovered employee's priorities and moods are changing. There has been a shift to value hygiene factors ahead of motivational factors (Herzberg Two Factor Theory). They are now more susceptible to low mood and a lack of motivation.

To respond to these changes, we discovered the valuable practice of Uplifting Leadership. How hope inspires people. How Uplift can help sustain business continuity, and the mental health and well-being of a workforce.

In part two of Uplifting Leadership for Mental Health and Well-being, we’ll review factors that can impede Uplifting Leadership and also provide some practical tips to help leaders generate hope and uplift across the workforce.

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How Much Hope Do Your People Have?

In Part One, we revealed how hope is not just a feel-good emotion. It is a dynamic cognitive motivational system involving the will and the ways to achieve goals (Kaufman, 2014).

If you want to inspire your people, first test their levels of hope. Consider inviting your people to answer this simple question.

When thinking about work, are you more often fearing the worst or wishing for the best?

If the majority answer wishing for the best, it is highly likely you have a hopeful workforce. Keep doing what you are doing. You are probably already adopting Uplifting Leadership. You might also find some additional useful tips here.

If the answer is fearing the worst, consider adopting Uplifting Leadership. Begin with these starter tips to Uplift your people. Remember, most employees hope you to will do the right thing by them. The practical tips in this article are designed to generate Uplift throughout a workforce.

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Make Performance Targets Realistic

When a business experiences significant, unexpected and detrimental disruption, it stops hitting performance targets. When this happens business leaders can often adopt self-defeating practices. Keeping organisational targets the same as before the disturbance.

Leaders can also reject reasonable requests to revise targets during major disruption. During COVID-19 some employees have also reported expectations to maintain usual outputs despite reduced working hours.

This sets people up for failure and employees often feel pushed to their limit. The result is top down pressure and lack of bottom up support. No one wins and it causes a decline in mood, motivation and performance.

Leadership Tips to Cause Uplift

Employers want to be set realistic targets so they can achieve them. Do the right thing and reevaluate your targets across the workforce. Work with your people to readjust the measurement of success to realistic and achievable levels. Then celebrate the wins. It will provide you and your team members with the uplift you all need to keep going during the pandemic.

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Having Purpose and Realistic Goals

When major disruption occurs in the workforce, employees can suffer low mood. They can also experience a lack of motivation and direction.

Finding a sense of purpose during isolation or separation is likely to be helpful.

When astronaut Peggy Whitson was asked to provide some tips for staying positive during isolation, she said "COVID-19 gives us a higher purpose much like being in space does because we are saving lives by quarantining …. it gives us a rational for continuing to put up with the situation."

As well as higher purpose, it is also important for employees to understand their work purpose. Understanding the part that they play in the organization, gives them meaning. A sense of belonging and forward projection.

Employees with low mood and a lack of motivation can also feel overwhelmed by long-term goals. They may feel unable to discuss it with their line manager for fear of reprisal. Others may be more expressive and assert their position more forcefully.

Leadership Tips to Cause Uplift

Help employees understand how their role makes a positive contribution to the organisation and wider community. Tell stories of people who have overcome adversity, survived ordeals or sacrificed themselves for the greater good. This can provide a rationale and inspire extraordinary effort to support organisational changes.

Help employees establish small and realistic goals over shorter periods of time, instead of the end goal. It will stimulate motivation and provide a valuable source of focus to raise mood levels. Acknowledge progress and focus on small achievements to help foster a sense of competence (British Psychological Society, 2020). Provide them with regular opportunities to celebrate success to create a sense of togetherness, even if it is via video link.

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Establish Priority Routines

When astronaut Scott Kelly was asked to provide some tips for living in isolation, he said his strict astronaut schedule helped him keep moving and motivated. Therapist Clair Jack PH.D describes routine as the cornerstone of good mental health in How to Keep Up Healthy Routines During Coronavirus.

Without routine life becomes unpredictable. This means anxiety and fear can set in. Human brains welcome routine. It creates a stable environment - it makes what’s coming next predictable.

In a work environment, this can help employees navigate through uncertainty more easily. Having a routine helps them gain a sense of control throughout the day. It helps them stay in the present, so they are not distracted by other situations out with their control.

Leadership Tips to Cause Uplift

Encourage employees to set some time aside each week to create a weekly plan and establish a consistent structure for daily tasks and routines. Putting those smaller goals into a realistic schedule.

Help them prioritise workloads using the Eisenhower Matrix and assist them if they get stuck. Employees will experience uplift when they feel able to plan a future with more certainty.

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Help Employees Work Through Their Feelings

Research by the British Psychological Society (2020) reported people who have experienced confinement in the extremes, describe ‘detaching’ emotionally from the situation. In a work environment, detachment leads to employee disengagement. This means there is less collaboration and productivity in an organisation.

When employees become emotionally detached it is often realized during the assessment of performance. This is unhelpful for all parties involved because it usually results in a reactive performance management conversation. A proactive conversation that seeks to uplift mood and prevent emotional detachment is of much more value.

Leadership Tips to Cause Uplift

Be proactive in helping employees to reappraise their feelings and search for the positives in the situation. Ask them to share their concerns and explore what can be done to minimise fears, anxiety and stress. Encourage them not to dwell on situations or forecast outcomes out with their control.

Consider using the Circle of Influence and Control [Stephen Covey] and work through their thinking together. Then discuss ways they can improve their outlook to feel a sense of personal control. Options like positive self-talk, outcome visualization, gratitude journals and peer support can help. This approach will provide some rational perspective, restore hope and help reduce negative feelings.

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Communication is Key

Isolated living means effective communication is more important than ever during COVID-19. We can learn a lot from astronauts and how they prepare for isolated living.

An astronaut’s space station crew become their family when in orbit. They stay with them throughout the day and the night. Isolated from colleagues, friends and family who are back on earth.

Astronauts undertake training to improve communication on board a space station. They prepare well in advance for the pressures on interpersonal relationships. Like astronauts, employees don’t get to pick their crew, so have to find ways to communicate well in every situation.

Expedition teams also develop team norms that embrace open and honest conversations. They resolves issues that can potentially lead to conflict (Smith et al., 2017). To maintain mood and morale, they also manage call content and when they connect with people outside their crew.

In a work environment, the cost of poor communication first appears in working relationships. Misunderstandings whether written or verbal often result in a mixture of negative self- talk, unhelpful two-way communication and an unhappy workforce. Without effective communication, leaders and employees hopes can dissipate. Stress, anxiety and fears can escalate. Performance, mental health and well-being are jeopardized.

Leadership Tips to Cause Uplift

Prepare for the pressures on interpersonal relationships. Create a culture where your people want to understand and embrace diverse thinking and behavioural preferences, to create a positive and productive working environment.

Give your people the right training and development to embrace cognitive diversity and communicate in a style that improves mood and morale.

Use modern, trusted and accessible psychometric tools, such as Emergenetics, to help you and your team continue to improve skills in communication as you navigate through COVID-19 and beyond. Utilise supporting smart-phone application technology that provides ‘pocket advice’ for sustainable reinforcement.

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Mind Your Tone and Language

Mehrabian’s research (Silent Messages, 1971) suggests tone of voice and words account for 45% of how communication is interpreted. Employees separated by social distancing are increasingly using electronic communication. As a result, verbal ahead of non- verbal communication, is becoming even more important in day to day interactions.

People also tend to interpret words differently depending on their thinking profile. Reduced opportunity to read non-verbal cues means people in work will rely more on verbal cues to enable effective workplace communication.

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Leadership Tips to Cause Uplift

Even though people tend to interpret words differently, there are some universal norms to avoid and adopt. Avoid words and phrases that reduce people’s energy levels. In Emergenetics we term this as the Language of Grace. A language that emphasizes positivity, caring and connectedness.

Run a creative workshop and have some fun discovering the words and phrases that negatively affect you and your people’s energy levels. Work together on developing positive replacements that increase energy. Then commit to using the new words and phrases during future conversations.

Simple changes in language really can have a positive impact on across an organization.

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Back To Earth

When astronauts return to Earth, they have to readapt to gravity, regain their balance and deal with the mental and physical after-effects of being in space. As one Italian astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti said on Twitter ‘Doing great, but gravity is tough’ (2015).

Returning to the norm can also prove difficult for some leaders and team members across all types of organisations.

Creating Uplift gives your people hope and the psychological safety they need to stay motivated and carry on. It reassures team members whatever the outcome, you will be there to do the right thing by them and support them.

Uplifting Leadership is not just a plan to get you and your people through COVID-19. It is a strategy to guide leaders and their people towards ongoing effective performance as well as happiness, health and well-being. It means everyone can exit the COVID experience in good shape and continue to thrive together.

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Emergenetics®

Get in touch If you would like to know more about Emergenetics® or ROOTBALL Power Partnerships.

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I would really love to hear from you if you found this article helpful.

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© ROOTBALL Coaching & Consultancy Ltd, all rights reserved, 2020.

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Uplifting Leadership at Work - Part 1

During the past few weeks, I've had several conversations with stressed out business leaders. We’ve covered life, leadership and the impact of the recent pandemic. Concerns about business continuity, health and financial security are unsurprisingly dominating.

In all my conversations some key words keep popping up to describe their experiences. Words like ‘surreal’, ‘weird’ and ‘strange’. Many have even told me they feel like they are working in an ‘alternate universe’.

It made me wonder how astronauts cope when they first arrive in Space.

Even Astronauts Need Time to Adjust

Despite intensive training, astronauts can feel disorientated and drained when they arrive in Space. They may also suffer a loss of appetite, stomach upsets and lose their sense of time and space. They need to overcome feelings of stress, anxiety and fear. Adjust to their new surroundings and find ways to cope with being away from their loved ones, friends, and family.

Does this sound familiar, as you and your team test new ways of working during COVID-19?

When COVID-19 hit, we did not expect or train for it. Nor did we foresee the disruption it would have in our lives.

Somewhat like an astronaut, it is normal to feel a sense of disorientation, loss and upset, when navigating an ‘alternate universe’.

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Anxiety and Fear in an Alternate Universe

Does it feel like you have been catapulted into outer space without a space suit? Are you experiencing a disorientating free fall, as you grieve the temporary loss of gravity that once kept you and those around you grounded?

Whether you are a leader or employee, it is normal to feel stress, anxiety, and fear during COVID-19. How it affects individuals depends on their domestic and employment circumstances. Though what we all have in common is we want to protect our physical and mental health, and our well-being.

For most of the working population, the focus on achievement, growth, and advancement [motivational factors] are no longer a priority to achieve job satisfaction and well-being. Salary protection, job security, work conditions and safe company policies [hygiene factors] are now top of the list. Domestic conditions like financial hardship and schooling children may also be considerations.

Most leaders now have less resources, reduced budgets, and lower cash reserves. A large proportion are operating in a devastated marketplace. Wondering how to do more with less as well as maintain employee engagement and well-being.

As a result, emotions and anxiety levels are running high.

This calls for leaders to evaluate their approach to leadership for two important reasons. To maintain business continuity and protect the mental health and well-being of themselves and their people.

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The Shift in Mood State

Inspirational leaders encourage and stimulate feeling and action in a workforce. Inspiring others to push themselves, achieve more and reach their potential. However, as the workforce becomes more concerned with hygiene factors, the motivation to act, achieve more and reach potential is waning. Driven by the need for psychological and physical safety, people’s priorities and moods are shifting. The British Psychological Society (2020) states ‘it is almost inevitable that at some point during isolation and quarantine people will experience feelings of low mood and a lack of motivation’.

Mood state and feelings are the drivers of behaviour at work. Response to behaviour also affects mood state and feelings in the workforce.

When an employee has low mood, they are unlikely to feel enthusiastic or excited about their job and they often lack the motivation to improve relationships at work. They also endangers their own and colleagues mental health and well-being (Totterdell and Niven, workplace moods and emotions research, 2014). This has a negative impact on communication, collaboration and productivity within an organization.

Inspiring a workforce into action can also prove difficult if a large proportion of employees have low mood. By uplifting them – creating an environment that encourages them to improve their mood – they are more likely to be receptive to inspiration.

The presence of uplift is essential if you want to inspire people in your organization. This calls for an additional leadership discipline. One that focuses on mood enhancement. A practice called Uplifting Leadership.

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What is Uplifting Leadership?

The word Uplifting means 'to morally or spiritually elevate and inspire happiness or hope'. Many people get confused between the definition of ‘inspiring’ and ‘uplifting’ and think they have the same meaning. There is a difference. Inspiring is to encourage and stimulate action or feeling, whilst uplifting is all about improving mood.

The authors of Uplifting Leadership (Hargreaves, Boyle and Harris, 2014), describe Uplifting Leadership as the beating heart of effective leadership. They say;

'Uplifting Leadership is the creation of ‘emotional, spiritual and moral uplift throughout an organization and the wider community it influences and is concerned with emotional and spiritual engagement, social and moral justice and improved performance in work and life.’

At its core, Uplifting Leadership involves ‘the pursuit and attainment of hope and happiness for every employer, leader, and team member’.

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Why does Uplifting Leadership Matter?

Employees buy into organisations’ that stand for and contribute to something they believe in and deem important. They also want to improve their own quality and experience of life. Hargreaves, Boyle and Harris (2014) say;

‘Uplifting Leadership raises peoples hopes and stirs up their passions. It stimulates their intellect and imagination. Making spirits soar and pulses quicken in a collective quest to achieve a greater good for everyone. It helps people protect against unexpected or opposing forces. Raising the collective performance of a team to reach outstanding levels of achievement.’

Uplifting Leadership inspires hope in an organisations’ people to achieve happiness. This is important because during periods of uncertainty, mood levels can fluctuate. Apathy can set in and employee expectations start to override organisational aspirations.

Uplifting Leadership embraces cognitive diversity in the workforce. Encourages employers and employees to willingly reveal the outcomes they hope to achieve. Motivates them to reframe their fears and share what they want to happen, rather what they don’t want to happen.

It steers work-related conversations in a positive direction. Improves communication and fosters a solution-focused environment. A place where employer and employees work together. Where they fulfil mutual hopes for the benefit of each other, as well as the organization. Advance collective responsibility and shared accountability to deliver outstanding outcomes. A culture where mistakes are learning opportunities. Where mental health and well-being are on an equal footing with financial aspirations.

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Hope in Uplifting Leadership

Everyone wants to be happy, right?

When positive outcomes occur for us - things that we hope for - we become happy.

Happiness evolves from a reference point of hope.

The definition of hope is wanting something to happen or be the case – a confident expectation.

Hope creates a positive mood about an expectation, a goal, or a future situation. Whilst there are practical and interdependent stages to navigate between hope and happiness, hope is the reference point by which our level of happiness is assessed.

It is well documented in the Science of Hope (Yes, it is a science) that hope fulfilled leads to health and happiness.

Psychologist Kaufman (2014) says Hope is not just a feel-good emotion. It is a dynamic cognitive motivational system. He also says in Wills and Ways to Hope that hope involves the will to get there, and different ways to get there. It allows people to approach challenges with a positive mindset. To develop strategies destined for success.

Hope satisfied, is happiness. When we are happy, we feel uplifted. We are more likely to adopt positive thoughts, outlooks and behaviours.

Encouraging a culture of hope in an organization helps employees find optimism, possibility, and self-efficacy. The more hope and happiness they have, the more receptive they are to inspiration.

Without hope across the workforce, employees will give up. Their stress, fears and anxiety levels will increase. They will become mentally absent. This can lead to physical absence. They will lose their ability to imagine a better world. This impedes positive thinking, proactivity, and performance. It reduces two-way communication, collaboration, and productivity.

Develop shared hopes to protect business continuity and collective mental health and well-being. It is the first vital step to help recalibrate a workforce following a major disruption. Turn shared hopes into common goals [causing uplift]. This will give your people faith and a sense of belonging in the organization. It will strengthen bonds, breed loyalty and inspire positive action.

People with hope are more likely to do something that causes shared happiness. And when people do something to cause happiness, they usually want to do more of it. No one ever complained about feeling too much happiness or helping someone else find happiness.

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Hope and Difficult Decisions

You can still give your people hope when having to make difficult decisions.

If you are facing this possibility provide your people with Uplifting Leadership. Yes, avoid making grand gestures that you are unable to follow through. Your people will not thank you for making promises you cannot keep. Though they will respect your honesty when you admit you don’t have all the answers. Keep them up to date as you learn more and help them make hope happen.

Consider the advice of Shane Lopez, PH. D, author of Making Hope Happen.

Focus on fueling optimism in their belief that they have the power to make the changes they want in their life. Help them define realistic goals, offer support and be a hopeful person yourself’.

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Want to Know More?

Part Two of Uplifting Leadership for Mental Health and Well-being will be available tomorrow.

Watch out for it and discover the key factors affecting Uplifting Leadership, as well as some practical tips to help leaders generate hope and uplift across the workforce.

© ROOTBALL Coaching & Consultancy Ltd, All rights reserved, 2020.

Six Mental Health and Well-Being Tips for Leaders and Team Members to help navigate through COVID-19 Outbreak

We are all learning how to cope in one of the most uncertain and unprecedented periods of our lifetime. A nation who aims to save lives as well as livelihoods, has reached an uncomfortably tricky 'fork in the road'. We all find ourselves in unchartered territory.

Most of us are asking the same important questions. How long is this going to go on for? Will I have a job/business when this is over? Will we have enough money?

There is plenty of uncertainty in the air right now and in dealing with this uncertainty, a large proportion of us are also experiencing stress and anxiety.

We all react differently to stressful situations. Particularly where we are not yet able to predict or know the outcome. We don't have all the answers to our immediate questions. We do want to successfully navigate through these difficult times. The most important thing to do in this unsettling period, is to help each other cope with our stress and anxiety.

Here’s six helpful stress management tips to help you and your teams reduce stress and anxiety.

SIX STRESS MANAGEMENT TIPS

1. POSITIVE SELF-TALK

None of us are happy about what’s happening at present. If you or anyone you know is getting negative thoughts about recent events, respond with positive self-talk and help others to do the same. It can have a calming effect and help everyone feel more in control.

Our brains are programmed to focus more on the negative as we make sense of our world. This can affect how we respond, particularly in times of difficulty. When we receive bad news, we can often find ourselves spending every waking hour thinking about what’s going to happen. This can get us into an unhelpful Worry Cycle, especially when we are not always able to control the outcome.

The more we worry, the more we start to imagine different outcomes of our own creation. Often with a negative bias. This can lead to negative self- talk about ourselves and others. It can have a detrimental effect on our collective mental health and well-being.

Positive self-talk has the opposite effect.

Here’s some things you and others can do to counter the negative bias.

Remember positive stories from the past. Stories where you overcame adversity. Remind yourself, you already have the ability to do it again.

Try re-programming your mind. Repeat positive affirmations to replace negative ones when they enter your mind. Here’s a few to consider or you could create one that works better for you.

“One day at a time. Whatever happpens, we will be fine”

“I have the strength to get through this and will thrive on the other side”

“Things change and I can adapt, whatever the outcome”

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Most importantly, remember you and others are valued members of the team, who each have an important part to play.

Remind yourself of that in your moments of doubt and worry. Circumstances out with everyone’s control has led us to this point. So, work together to overcome setbacks.

When we pull together in the same direction, we feel a sense of safety, security and belonging, which in turn, reduces stress and anxiety.

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2. AVOID NEWS OVERLOAD

Keep well informed of the COVID-19 outbreak. Use reliable sources of information. Social media can often report fake news, so it is important to use trusted sources.

Also, remember and remind others to take breaks from watching, listening or reading the news. News bulletins are designed to sensationalise and elicit an emotional response. When we repeat watch, read or listen to Negative News, we tend to spend more time thinking and talking about it. This behaviour can lead to increased sadness and anxiety.

Instead, do the things you enjoy and make you happy and encourage others to do the same. It is important to take breaks from thinking about negative news and have some fun. This way, everyone’s moods will brighten.

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3. KEEP CONNECTED

Thank goodness for the digital age! It allows us to stay connected, as we follow the government advise of social distancing.

The fear and worry about your own health, the health of your loved ones, work mates and other work-related concerns means we need to stay connected, more than ever now.

Keep in touch with your boss and teammates about how you are feeling. Help each other to find ways to successfully navigate this experience. Show genuine compassion towards each other. Share and seek to understand how one another feels, even when emotions are running high. The more open and honest your communication the better. Keeping communication channels open is important to reduce our anxiety and stress.

Video Call or FaceTime your friends and family. Seeing a familiar face, hearing a familiar voice, can evoke stronger emotional connections. Which in turn release the ‘happy chemicals’ in our brain and this make us feel good.

We are all social beings at the core and need to keep connecting throughout and beyond this pandemic.

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4. EAT WELL, SLEEP WELL AND STAY ACTIVE

Take care of your physical health and encourage team members to follow the same path. Have a daily walk in nature. Keep the routine going. Boost mood and improve well-being.

Eating regular, healthy meals also has a positive effect on mental health and well-being. Consider and encourage team members to cut down on caffeine. Reduce alcohol intake and how much processed and junk food is eaten.

For those having trouble sleeping, why not give this a go. Take slow and deliberate breaths and as you drop off, recall all the things you are grateful for in your life. Having a partner, what fun you had with your kids. A roof over your head, a kindness from a stranger or a friend. An internet connection, clean water, even being alive! – the list is actually endless. Remembering what we are grateful for can help us drift off to sleep with a calm and abundant feeling.

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5. LET IT OUT & LET IT GO

We are all susceptible to fear, anger, grief, irritability and feelings of helplessness.

For those experiencing these emotional states, why not keep and write in a journal to let go of fear, anger and any other unhelpful feelings.

1. It will allow you to express your emotions in a constructive way.
2. Releasing bottled up feelings can have a calming effect.
3. You can identify the cause of your worry to help you find a cure.

Exercise self-compassion. Treat yourself and others with kindness and consideration, as you would a dear friend. Encourage one another to choose to let go of unhelpful thinking and behaviours that are causing stress and anxiety.

6. MANAGING MONEY

Financial worries are not something any of us like to think about. Yet, managing your finances can be key to reducing stress and worry.

Getting professional help to work through financial challenges can help find solutions. Click here to access the Citizens Advice Website. They give some great financial advice. On budgeting, managing your mortgage/rent payments, banking and help with debt.

Finding ways to cope with stress will make you, the people around you and communities your involved in stronger.

The next few months are going to be difficult and uncertain times for everyone. Let’s support each other as much as we can during these unprecedented times.

Click here to download your free editable employee communication resource

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