Life can be challenging …
Life can be challenging especially when managing Covid 19.
It is all the more reason to hold fast to steady yourself in the storm especially when the waves are crashing all around you. Hold fast to what you know is true and right for you.
Now more than ever it is important to know who you really are, feel confident and stand firm in your conviction.
Whether you are a student, working from home, business owner, executive or CEO we need to be able to lead from this perspective with a quiet confidence.
Have you ever taken the time to evaluate who you really are, what you value and how you personally manage the stressors in your life?
A big part of life is to learn how to manage stress. It’s not always easy.
You can have events come out of left field like floods or losing a job, some things can be hurtful like divorce or bullying in the workplace, some things can come as a shock like the fires, some things can be devastating like the loss of loved ones and of course the coronavirus pandemic where it can just bowl you over.
This is when you realise that you are not really in control of anything that happens around you. You are only in control of how you manage yourself in each moment.
How we manage these circumstances is one piece and the other important piece is to be conscious of what you are experiencing. I have found the Five Stages of Grief Cycle developed by Kubler Ross to be helpful when experiencing change.
It is interesting to note what you may be experiencing in the cycle and to know that it is normal to be going through these stages. Some people may experience one or two of the stages and you do not necessarily experience it in a linear fashion.
The five stages, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance are part of the framework that makes up our learning to live with loss so that we can begin to move forward.
It is important to honour this part of yourself, your process and to give yourself time to grieve so that you can let go and make way for the new.
How to de-stress. 15 practical tips to personally prepare your state of mind.
- Organise your day before you open emails- be proactive rather than reactive.
- Water hydrates your brain so drink plenty – it keeps you energised
- Say goodbye to energy vampires who steal your enthusiasm.
- Design a routine that works just for you.
- Start your day on a positive note – walk, swim, meditate, listen to an inspiring podcast.
- Identify what will give you the most leverage and do it!
- Arrive to work 30 mins early to prepare and prioritize before you start your day.
- Use your commute time catch up on emails so you are present when you get home.
- Less mess reduces stress- clear your desk.
- Multi-tasking does not work- you are more effective doing one thing at a time.
- Block time and let others know when you are available.
- Organise one weekly meeting – make it effective, time-framed and with an agenda sent through prior to the meeting.
- Focus on your main goal for that week every morning.
- Enlist a coach to keep you focused and to overcome obstacles to your success!
Sir Ken Robinson has passed away this year and leaves an inspiring legacy.