Staying Calm during COVID

The big theme this week has been on ‘Zoom fatigue’.

It’s rather unfair to point the finger at Zoom - obviously all video hosting platforms are involved! 

We have seen a massive increase of use of these tools  in this digital space to help us stay connected and collaborative in our work and personal lives. But they are draining us of energy and many of us are feeling their burden rather than benefit. 

There is some interesting data around how we misinterpret others on these types of calls. And we face frustrations when the technology doesn’t work perfectly.

However, we desperately need these solutions to keep us connected and our economy turning. Learning to limit your use of these devices is one solution. This group however, have created a silent Zoom retreat - which puts an interesting spin on something that would normally be full of noise.

Managing your sleep can start to become a cycle of anxiety in itself. If you haven’t slept well you can feel anxious about how this will impact on your busy day ahead. Will you have enough energy for that important video conference? Will you make silly mistakes? Will you lose patience too quickly with your children, partner or a delivery driver’s failed attempt ( I was most definitely in, you just did not wait for me to answer - sound familiar?)?

The cycle can start up again at night. “I hope I sleep better tonight, what if I don’t, will this go on forever, I hate insomnia!” 

Conversely, if you find yourself sleeping too much, getting started in the day can seem like an enormous challenge which can set your attitude for the day with a sense of burden.

You can’t force your body and brain into better sleep. But you can plan for better sleep.

Our Thrive Planner is a great tool to help you map out your new daily and weekly commitments,...

There are some really interesting articles out there on why our sleep is so greatly affected by the lockdown. With some of us sleeping more than ever, others are struggling to sleep at all and almost all of us are reporting some downright bizarre occurrences in our dreams.

Our background anxiety is heightened thanks to the COVID crisis and this offers some insight into the state of our dream scenarios. 

There are many factors around the lockdown that are impacting on sleep and a lot centres on routine and structure.   

We normally take 3 months to adjust to new routines of magnitude so it’s not surprising that our routines are still in a state of limbo, 

Understanding your own natural rhythm can be helpful. Are you a night owl or an early bird? Honour your body’s natural inclinations where you can. 

There is so much to explore on sleep and my recent article on the importance of sleep is a great place to start. 

Simple reminders when it...

While we look to how to stop ourselves burning out, the planet is thriving without our usual burden on her. 

The celebration of Earth Day this week usually comes with various stories about how we are continuing to fail the planet. So in some good news, this - the 50th annual Earth Day, has finally shown some positive changes.

Yes, it did take putting humanity in detention BUT, the results speak for themselves. Less polluted air, cleaner water and thriving animal life.

What will this moment of pause teach us about just how powerful an impact we have on our environment? I hope we come out of this with a kinder attitude to the 'home' we all live on. 

I'm sure we're all guilty of once having uttered the phrase 'practice makes perfect'. But what does perfect look like, and why do we often view it as a goal to strive for?

In metric driven models such as sales, perfect could be regarded as the most purchased product in a line. But, does that make the product perfect? It may just mean it's cheaper, more available or has smarter packaging design.

Car rental firm Avis ran a hugely successful advertising campaign where the toted the line; "We're number 2, so we try harder."

Having a goal to pursue is an invaluable motivator, provided you have a healthy understanding of goal achievement. 

A goal of; I will run 5km in under 30 minutes is a great example of a healthy goal. 
Whereas a goal of; I will be the best 5km runner in my age category in the county is pretty unhealthy in many ways.

Your idea of best here, means fastest. However, comparison to others, poor form, an injury or poor support materials could derail you and damage...

Working from home has many plus points - proximity to the fridge and kettle. As well as negative points - proximity to the fridge and kettle. 

Jokes aside, we've all had to adjust to make the new normal 'workable'. We're establishing some routines and habits that have enabled us to work in smarter ways. 

I've seen a friend relax her child's school hours to happen in the evening time, which better suits her work from home schedule and her daughter's natural energy peak. We've never been able to enjoy this kind of freedom before, but it takes some mental adjusting to overcome old ways of thinking to make it happen.

Finding how to separate work life from home life when it all exists in the same space is something that requires conscious action. 

This article describes how we were already skirting a fine line when it comes to personal and professional life separation before the COVID crisis. With the huge upsurge in home working, it's a more important time than ever to...

"I'm fine". 

The most overused lie we hear and tell in our everyday lives. It's often said as a reflex response to the question "How are you?".

With many of us conducting team chats over video digital platforms such as Zoom it's even harder to gauge how your team really are doing?

If you're still operating in a work environment you're likely to be faring no better. The changes and added stress in workplaces, now means finding an adequate way and time to check in with your team that needs better thought and planning.

So how do you connect with your team in a meaningful way to ensure they feel heard, supported and motivated? 

Rachel has put together a great resources page including a short video, to help you plan better ways to connect with your team during the COVID crisis.

It's very easy to constantly reflex to your phone at the moment. Whether for news updates, checking in on friends and families or (as we're all guilty of) mindlessly scrolling social media.

The immediacy and absorption these apps within our devices provide, makes it very easy to spend far more time on them than we realise. Often the content they offer is far from enlightening or enriching to your everyday life to warrant the time spent on them. 

The old adage 'bad news sells', is fuelling an echo-chamber of anxiety inducing stories and self-certified 'experts' to wade in with their tuppence worth.

So how can you break the cycle of circling back to your phone and its persistent notification alerts? This week's You Are Not A Frog podcast with Rachel and Tiny Habits coach, Dr Katherine Hickman offers some great advice to help you better manage your media hits.

Beating Burnout sounds like a game. And maybe adopting a sense of play isn't a bad strategy to adopt.

The book Play Anything by Ian Bogost, teaches us a lot about overcoming our daily anxieties and turning everyday mundanity into a world of playful possibilities. 

The problem at the moment, is finding the time to try something like reading can seem challenging. 

Yet another task that we 'should' be doing, but when? It seems that in this uncertain time, many of us are busier than ever - whether we're working on the frontline or contained within our homes. 

Too much or too little rigour in our schedules can easily lead to a feeling of burnout. Which is why it's so important to plan in 5 minute breaks for yourself. 

If you're next question is, 'yes, but what do I do in those 5 minutes to feel satisfied that I've had a mental break?'; then we have a series of suggestions at our Plan Your 5 Minute Break page.

Planning your breaks and sticking to them is...

Is distraction amongst your biggest problems right now? We’re all feeling that and that’s OK.

Practising attention management is about maintaining control of where your attention goes and recognising what your distractions are. 

Right now, there is so very much that can be distracting us, from having to find new suppliers, to the demands of your family, to overwhelming anxiety about the crisis.

Discovering what your distractions are can help you manage your way back to focus. This article offers some great strategies to turn your distractions into tools of empowerment.