Our topical Parity Plus webinar featured keynote speaker, Graeme Cowan – Board Director R U OK? And Dianne McCabe – Director of the happy path and hosted by Victoria Butt. We looked at tools to help us develop stronger Mental Resilience during the COVID-19 crisis, how to create good working from home strategies and how to cope with social isolation.
Graeme Cowan, Board Director – R U OK?
The Moodometer – Rate your mood so you can manage your mood.
There are 3 mood zones: Green, yellow and red. Our mood is influenced by our Genetics (50%), the events that happen in our lives (10%), and our intentional actions (40%). Our goal is to keep ourselves and the people around us in the green zone and know how to help those who have entered the red zone.
Green Zone - productive and creative zone. We’re more optimistic, resourceful, energetic and grateful. We better parents, better partners and better work colleagues. We’re also 31% more productive, sell 33% more and are 300% more creative.
Yellow Zone – tipping point zone. In this zone we need to focus on things that we can do each day to push us back into the green zone.
Red Zone - expensive zone. Not just because it is where absenteeism occurs, but also presentism – you’re at work but you’re not productive.
Graeme’s advice is to act like a VIP – find your “one thing” that lifts your mood and do it each day, e.g. going for a walk or meditating. If something is done often and consistently, everything else will fall into place.
“Big changes come from doing little things each day.”
Watch this video: What is your one thing? (6:46)
Self-Care is not selfish – We need to keep these three glasses full up each day to remain resilient
Resilience starts with self care. If we get this right then resilience happens by itself.
Vitality - this is our physical health, our exercise, resting well, meditating and eating well, stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables.
Intimacy - his is the most important part of our well-being. Research shows that those who are mot affluent and happy are those who have caring and supportive relationships. Are you talking to the those people who support you enough, try to make time for this.
Prosperity
Only read COVID-19 updates from trusted sources, Graeme recommends Federal Health department and Safe Work NSW
Restrict looking at news to twice daily
Create a routine, stick to a schedule and decide on a start and stop time
Work in 45-minute chunks with 15-minute breaks in-between to get some fresh air and stretch
Set regular times to speak with team mates
Take time to walk in nature – it’s a rejuvenator
Schedule in a work coffee date – who can you have a Zoom meeting with?
COVID-19 Self Care Tips:
Dianne McCabe – Director of the happy path.
We cope well with stress until we don’t! There is a tipping point which slips into fatigue, exhaustion, panic anxiety and burnout. Once you move into the tipping point, your world gets smaller and you collapse in on yourself. To the external world, you are still functioning as normal, however close colleagues and family members may begin to notice changes.
Signs that you are reaching the tipping point:
You stop reaching out to people
You have trouble sleeping or find yourself sleeping a lot more than normal
You feel a high level of anxiety
You have no motivation to exercise
It’s important to take time to understand yourself and the triggers that could result in a burnout and avoid entering the Danger Zone.
Di encourages us to make “Micro changes for Macro impact”. She will be running some linked In posts around this topic in the coming weeks so make sure you look out for these https://www.linkedin.com/in/mental-health-change-strategy/
Take personal responsibility for yourself. Whist working from home, a good way to do this is make sure you take 10 minutes, 10 times a day to take a break from work. You can use these 10 minutes to walk, run, call a friend, play music, play a game with the kids, dance, read a chapter of a good book, stretch, yoga, meditate, food prep, hydrate, eat a nourishing snack
Q: Our audience asked “How do you ask someone if they are OK” if they are in denial about their mental well-being?
A: The best way to do this is to make an observation about the change you have seen in that person. “You don’t seem yourself, is everything OK”? Make it about the behaviour, listen without judgement, ask open ended questions. Once people feel understood, the greater our capacity to influence them. Follow up regularly and check in. Use the ALAC strategy (Ask, Listen and encourage, Action, Check in)
The Link to the full recording of the Webinar can be found here Full Webinar – Mental Resilience in Times of Disruptive Change
Parity would like to thank Graeme and Dianne for their valuable and practical advice on such an important topic for all who attended the event and the wider communities we all belong to! For further information about our Parity events, please contact us on +61 2 8068 2016 (Sydney), +61 3 9923 8081 (Melbourne) or events@parityconsulting.com.au. Alternatively, if you are interested in participating as a speaker for our future events, please also feel free to drop us a line – we’d love to hear from !
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