On a normal day, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by all the crazy things going on around us – often things out of our control. Throw in a pandemic, and all of that gets dialed WAY up. However, it is in times like these that we need to focus the MOST on managing our mindset.
When it comes to being in a leadership position, that responsibility to manage your mindset becomes even more important. This quote from McKinsey does a great job of summing it up:
“What leaders need during a crisis is not a predefined response plan but behaviors and mindsets that will prevent them from overreacting to yesterday’s developments and help them look ahead.”
At Executive Leadership Consulting, we have been working closely with our clients to understand their challenges as they navigate through these turbulent times. One thing has become very clear: Managing your mindset is essential to thriving through uncertainty. We took client questions along with our own best practices as a company that has always operated as a virtual team to create these 5 vital tips to managing your mindset during a crisis:
Be Positive, Calm & Hopeful
Many of us have been asked to work from home, which can totally disrupt the routines of our “normal” day. All these changes and uncertainty of when it will end can become too overwhelming and completely diminish your attitude. So, the first step to working from home successfully is to keep your mindset positive, calm and hopeful for the future.
Limit Information Inputs
One way to help your mind reach and maintain positivity and hopefulness is to limit your information inputs. Especially right now, there is a lot of information out there. There is also a lot of misinformation out there and this can keep you in a state of stress and fear. Take these steps to help you stay focused and more productive:
- Limit where you are receiving your information
- Make sure they are credible sources
- Limit the time you spend watching the news, looking at social media and keeping up to speed on what is happening
Be Agile
We can learn a lot about agile methodologies in times like these. What we learned is when you’re working remotely – try new things! Test it. Learn from what works what doesn’t work. Then adapt. Keep in mind this agile cycle of “Test. Learn. Adapt.” as you’re working from home and developing your own processes to be more productive.
Focus on your values
You want to keep your values top of mind. Both at home with your family as well as in the work that you’re doing. This includes not just your personal values, but you want to focus on your company values and your team values as well. Think of your values as a tether to keep you grounded in what matters most – even amongst the chaos.
Plan for the Future, Then Be Present
Finally, the most important thing is to keep each other safe. In times of great uncertainty, we can only control what we’re doing right now in this present moment. Right now, the future is just an idea. We can plan for it, but we can’t control it. Things are changing moment by moment. So, we can’t spend all of our energy focusing on what could happen or the “what-ifs.” By being present in the moment, you can focus on what is actually happening now.
If you’re looking for some tools on how to reduce stress and keep your mindset focused and positive, we have a free book called “How to Reduce Stress at Work.” Download for FREE here.
This article comes from our online training “7 Tips for Working Remotely during the COVID-19 Crisis” Click on the link to view the entire training for FREE as well as access to other helpful leadership resources.
