6 science-backed ways to support yourself and your team while you WFH.
Working from home is a skill in itself. We must accept a state of constant imbalance, knowing it will never be perfect.
Although we can’t physically embrace each other – we must try to embrace and accept ‘what is’.
Here are some ways to put the oxygen mask on yourself first.
Six science-based techniques to help you virtually breathe life into yourself and your team.
1. Practice & Encourage Radical Acceptance.
Acceptance is: not making a bad thing worse!
Radical acceptance simply means choosing to acknowledge and accept things as they are and not fighting against them.
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“If there is a solution to your problem, why worry?If there is no solution to your problem why worry?”
2. Embrace Self-Compassion
Your worth is not quantified by how many emails you respond to, how well you are adapting to life on zoom or how happy your team are.
Self-compassion is about noticing your inner dialogue and using a combination of common humanity, kindness and mindfulness in how you treat yourself.
Self-Compassion evangelist Kirstin Neff invites you to be a good friend to yourself in her Ted talk.
3. Use Appreciative Enquiry.
Be curious to learn! Ask your colleagues to share their stories and feelings about working from home, try not to assume we are feeling the same way.
Appreciative inquiry takes into account diversity, and human-ness and brings positive organisational change. It works best when you are open and interested in finding out how other people are. Try asking with genuine appreciative enquiry how your colleagues are adapting to the new normal. We can learn so much from the experiences of our peers.
This type of communication helps people to feel included and valued, we need that now – more than ever.
4. Focus on Strengths.
Employee research into 308,798 employees in 51 companies found that managers who focus on their employees strengths have more productive teams and lower staff turnover.
Unfortunately, focusing on weakness is still common practice in many organisations. Using and nurturing your own strengths in daily life is the key to achieving authentic happiness according to the most prominent man in positive psychology Martin Seligman.
If you are interested in developing your strengths – take the VIA strength finder survey (for free) here .
5. Create Positive Habits
Has WFH brought any new habits? Take some time to notice where your time and energy is going and what you can do to reframe your day.
Where possible create a habit of being unavailable. Take a break. Unplug while you take that break. After work switch off your emails. Create healthy boundaries and positive habits around your availability to others. In meetings be fully present by hitting pause on incoming mail with the boomerang chrome extension.
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“Habits are like financial capital – forming one today is an investment that will automatically give out returns for years to come”
6. Meditate.
Before you check your emails and texts in the morning meditate, align with your personal objectives and regain control of your day.
Use your phone to set your timer for ten minutes and breathe. Make meditation as much a part of your daily routine as brushing your teeth is – it’s just as important.
If you are still on the fence about meditation watch this Ted talk from ex monk Andy Puddicombe, the founder of Headspace.
I am looking forward to getting back to my lovely co-working space and seeing people in real life – but for now I’m grateful for the wonderful technology which is allowing us to connect in so many ways, and for mother nature enabling us to unplug from it all and disconnect.
