Coping With Covid

question

I run a middling-sized company in the west of Ireland. We’ve got a great team and the business has held up well in the pandemic. But I can sense gathering stress and anxiety. What can I do to keep the operation performing well?

ANswer

You and your company are not alone in this. I hear it all the time. I call it “pandemic fatigue.” The truth is people are yearning to return to some sort of “normal.” What I hear is that the uncertainty is so hard to handle. Unsurprisingly, this works its way into the workplace too. It’s been likened to running a marathon without knowing the end point.

So it’s imperative that we face up to these realities in the workplace, whether as employer, employee or manager.

Here are some strategies that might help

Self‐care is not optional. We must take charge of our own well‐being; we cannot expect even the most caring employer or the most loving family to be responsible for keeping us well.
Planning attainable wellness goals and sticking to the plan is important. In that way we are taking control of those things which we have control over in the current ever-changing, unpredictable world. Those goals might include things like: regular exercise, meditation, a healthy eating, yoga, mindfulness, prayer, gardening, connecting with others, music, reading, or other feel good rituals. Find the right match for you and do it regularly.

3.Take a break from news and social media. The bombardment of negative headlines can be overwhelming.

4. Create some predictable routines that will give your days structure and separate the week-days from the weekends. Focus on managing the things you have control over.

5. If you are finding yourself becoming depressed or struggling with how to cope take a look at our resources page and reach out and ask for help.