I would like to thank Scott Henderson from CEO – BSI Learning Institute for being a contributor to this blog and allowing us to use what he shared with his team today.
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Make Sure You Are Looking After Yourself
Putting my psychology hat on for a moment (and stealing from The Smiling Mind) here are 5 healthy habits for us to think about when we’re all working from home:
- Move – any physical movement is a great way to release the build up of excess energy that accompanies our stress responses. Take a walk/run, do some stretching, yoga or some other form of mindfulness, crank up your music and dance/jump around the house for a few minutes (I find 90’s music works for me). Zackie (my son) and I have started running every week-morning (we take weekends off). Well it’s running, jogging, walking, complaining, stopping to pat cats, awkwardly saying good morning to other early exercisers. But I try to get 10,000 steps before I start work.
- Ground – connect what is happening in this moment right now more consciously by engaging your senses. Splash cold water on your face, take a hot or cold shower, hug your pet (my cat Boonie hates this one, our kitten Harvey thinks it’s a game and tries to eat me), do some exercises from the Smiling Mind app (you can download it on your phone from the app store).
- Plan and Reflect – plan your day including rest periods (ahem Netflix ahem) and desired outcomes (not killing my family). At the end of the day, reflect on what you achieved and what you still have to go. Share it with your partner, your kids or in your next Zoom meeting.
- Connect – social connection is tough when we’re all physical distancing, but staying connected to others is more important than ever. Reach out to your work mates and friends. Have a Zoom lunch (I liked when we did this and brought in our pets) or virtual drinks (there is less chance that Ed will try to hug you). Listen and interact. I’m playing virtual poker with some mates this Friday. A mate suggested that I could smoke a virtual cigar. I chose not to dignify that with a response.
- Sleep – sleep is important for our mental and physical wellbeing (including our immunity). Establish good habits around sleep. Consider what you do before you go to be. Try to turn off screens at least an hour before hitting the sack. If you wake up and can’t get back to sleep, don’t reach for your phone (I don’t have mine in the bedroom), try to stop ruminating (think about things you are grateful for, try visualisation – I do a round of mental golf) or maybe meditate.
I hope these help and feel free to forward this to anyone who may need a hand. Stay safe and keep in contact.
