Recently, a friend mentioned that her company was still operating with most staff working from home. She then went on to say they are looking to wait until next June before going back into their offices. As a working single mom, she has had to assist her son with his schooling while balancing her own job responsibilities. Now, she’s faced with another eight months of Zoom meetings, not seeing her coworkers, and working from a desk in her guest room.
While there are advantages to being able to work from home, like comfy casual clothes and no commute, there are also pitfalls. One of these is isolation and another is burnout. When you see another request for a Zoom meeting, do you groan? For many, the novelty has worn off and we crave in-person staff meetings that used to be the bane of the day!
Along with isolation and burnout, I have read that there are many who are experiencing insomnia. Part of it is anxiety from watching the news, much of it bad news, coupled with the lack of socialization with friends, coworkers and extended family.
An interesting article by Arianna Huffington,* in The Drum, had some good tips to helping navigate through the things that keep you up at night. Having experienced burnout, she came up with “microsteps” to build mental resilience and create a healthier relationship with technology.
Try this - Beat Stress with a Microstep...
As you go through your day, consider taking a few easy steps to help your mental health. The key is having small, simple ones that you will actually embrace, like:
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- Set a time at night when you will stop watching news on your phone or TV. The idea is to allow your brain to wind down before going to sleep
- Use a gratitude break. To course-correct from stress, shift your mind by thinking of three things for which you're grateful. "Gratitude literally creates new neural pathways in the brain and that helps prevent depressions and anxiety..."*
- Try a 60-second reset. If you're feeling anxious or off your game, a "reset is basically an opportunity to bring together the things that bring you joy."* For just a minute, listen to a favorite song, walk outdoors, or play with your pet. Find what helps you hit the pause button and breathe for a minute!
As you go through your day, these stress busters work wonders. More importantly, the microsteps help with holiday stresses that might pop up around Thanksgiving. Experiment to see what works best for you.
* Arianna Huffington article in The Drum: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2020/10/26/3-actionable-insights-with-arianna-huffington