Hold onto that feeling!
Hard to do when the record feels stuck!
time2talk tips4feelgood moments and how you and your teams can manage and navigate virtually.
Feeling at risk of showing my age for referencing the 1981 Journey song Don’t Stop Believing, although feeling some minor victory that vinyl is cool again.
For the past 18 months we have been holding onto a feeling that there will be a post COVID, lockdowns will finish and we will return to normal.
We have held onto the feeling yet every time we feel it’s close it gets ripped away, just like a broken record we are stuck in a world that 2 years ago we would have never imagined.
Who feels like this now? (click below)
Yes, that was painful and lockdown continues to be painful for so many of us.
At time2talk Leadership we are receiving increased requests for sessions on fatigue, poor workplace behaviour, mental health, resilience, hybrid workplaces, self-care and some fun stuff!
In our many virtual sessions we are seeing participants open up and bravely talk about their struggles, searching for any tips and strategies that will help get them through.
As we sit in a space between RUOK day last week and World Mental Health Day October 10th, it’s time to raise the bar and ask ourselves are we doing enough for ourselves and others during this time.
This lockdown is harder for many reasons and the need to lift ourselves and others should be front and centre. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit, so leading up to World Mental Health Day it’s time to put yourself and others first and do whatever it takes to get some feelgood moments as we head to the home stretch.
So time2create some feelgood moments in your teams and organisations.
Here are some of the things we have tried:
tips4feelgood moments
- In a virtual meeting ask your team to pop their favorite feelgood songs in chat. Keep a list and play them in meetings, returning from breakout rooms or whenever the team needs a lift.
- Less people are taking sick leave – offer your team some proactive well being days, the only condition they must do something for themselves to recharge.
- Work with your team on energy strategies to help with resilience and fatigue. Contact us for a summary of ides from the work of Loer and Shwartz.
- Organise a team games session/trivia session on zoom. Be high on energy, create some healthy competition and include some getting to know you stuff.
- Coffee catch ups – create a coffee club where team members are paired up and have to meet for either a walk and coffee or a zoom and coffee with another nominated team member ( maybe one they don’t normally do)
- In your meeting celebrate the wins your team is having at this time. Put the spotlight on projects and people that are doing well and call these out regularly. Meetings, emails, slack. Spread the good work 😊
- Embrace the virtual world of learning. If there is a capability gap work on it now rather than waiting for face to face to come back. Enabling them to be better at their job at this time will help both motivation and productivity.
- Don’t make all your meetings operational. Include strategic, innovation, problem solving and some social meetings (tools down Tuesday, feelgood Friday).
- Network with colleagues in other organisations and ask what are you doing. Make it a conversation and spread your good ideas.
- Check in regularly, create a psychologically safe place for people to say this is tough. Show your vulnerability and ask for help if you need. Take time to check that they are really OK.
On October 8 we will be running a series of Wellbeing workshops with proceeds going back to RUOK.
While lockdown continues we continue to offer are our regular weekly complimentary lunch and learns to help out at this time.
A great opportunity to send your teams along to if they are looking for some practical tools and strategies.
Reach out to us as we are currently working with many teams on the above menu of ideas and are enjoying some of these in our own team 😊
Your 21 day challenge is to do something everyday to help yourself and others leading up to World Mental Health Day.
Finally… keep believing, we are on the pathway out so hold onto the feeling – click below for a more inspiring version.
