How to stay happy and positive during the current health crisis.
As I write this, the UK has been in lockdown for three weeks with no sign that normal service will be resuming any time soon.
How have you been finding self-isolation so far?
Most of the people I’ve (remotely) spoken to have been wrestling with a whole range of different emotions, and that’s absolutely to be expected. Some days they feel anxious and worried, other days they feel calm and unexpectedly productive, some days they’re angry that their lives have been turned upside-down seemingly overnight, and other days they feel confident and positive about the future. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that Anne Marie Collins – President of the Australian Association of Psychologists – calls “lockdown grief.”
THE ROLLERCOASTER OF LOCKDOWN GRIEF
According to Dr. Collins, lockdown grief has five stages. They’re not in any sort of linear order and we all experience them in different ways:
- Disbelief: our lives have been turned upside-down so quickly, it’s hard to believe this is actually happening.
- Anger: because we’ve lost normality, and we’re furious that this sudden massive upheaval has been forced upon us.
- Sadness: sadness, despair and anxiety are just a few of the negative emotions it’s normal to feel. They’ll probably keep arising throughout our lockdown journey, and they might even reappear after the lockdown’s finished and we’re working to get our lives back into balance.
- Acceptance: acknowledging our new reality and creating new habits and routines to give us a sense of energy and purpose.
- Hope and optimism: what Dr. Collins describes as, “the final and most beneficial stage when we develop new skills and solutions to the challenges of life under lockdown.
“Now we start thinking about the positives brought about by this health crisis [and] we’re doing things that we haven’t done for years, all because a lot of the pressure of the rat race has been relieved for people."
That’s all useful information, and it’s reassuring to know that the emotional ups and downs we’re experiencing are also being experienced by everybody else, but how can we stop the rollercoaster moving? How can we stay focused during both the good days and the bad days and maintain our positivity and productivity throughout Covid-19? Here are a few ‘Coronavirus tips’ you could implement during the lockdown:
START THE DAY PROPERLY
This piece of advice is key, because if you start the day with energy and positivity you’ll have a much better chance of staying focused on your goals. So, when the alarm goes off, don’t hit the snooze button. Instead, get up and start your day moving. Drink a big glass of water (tip: you’re much likely to remember to do that if the water’s already on your bedside table when you wake up), take some exercise, shower, meditate or read something inspiring, and then mentally review your goals for the day ahead.
Alternatively, you could start your day with what Hal Elrod - author of the ‘Miracle Morning’ series of books – calls the SAVERS routine, and it will only take you six minutes.
Silence (1 min): begin the day by quietening your mind, blocking out the chatter, and feeling calm. You could accomplish that in any way you choose – through meditation, breathing exercises, or prayer.
Affirmations (1 min): affirmations are small positive statements we tell ourselves every day to encourage us to achieve our goals, overcome our fears, and live happier and more productive lives. Some people love affirmations and believe they’re an easy way to reinforce positive thoughts and re-wire our thinking; other people are more cynical. Hal Elrod suggests they’re worth doing and he’s got a lot of loyal followers who seem to agree with him.
Visualisation (1 min): visualise doing everything you need to do to accomplish your goals, step-by-step, and imagine what it will feel like when you succeed. Just like with affirmations, some people think visualisations are too New Agey to get onboard with. However, studies in brain imagery have shown that the neurons in our brains interpret what we visualise as equivalent to real-life action. A lot of sportsmen use visualisation too, believing it improves their performance by increasing their motivation, coordination, and concentration. Golfing legend Jack Nicklaus once said, “I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp in-focus picture of it in my head.”
Exercise (1 min): bodyweight exercises, stretches, running on the spot – whatever you prefer, so long as it starts the blood pumping and the body working.
Reading (1 min): choose a self-help book and learn a new idea, something you’ll be able to implement during the course of your day. Or, in Elrod’s words, “Discover something new that you can use to feel better – to be better.”
Scribing (1 min): in a journal, write down what you’re grateful for, what you’re proud of, and what you’re committed to achieving by the end of the day.
Is six minutes really long enough to accomplish all those things? Maybe, maybe not. Personally, I’d recommend doing at least twenty more minutes of exercise and reading at some other point during the day. But the important thing is, if you’re having a problem transitioning between waking up and taking action, using the SAVERS routine is a useful way to get you out of bed and put you in an empowered, inspired, and productive state of mind.
Another couple of other things to remember about starting the day properly; don’t stay in your pyjamas and make sure you eat breakfast. Something that seems as simple as getting out of your PJ’s, taking a shower, and putting on daytime clothes sends a huge message to your mind and body: rest time is over, now is the time to be productive. As for breakfast, although it might be tempting to skip meals during the lockdown (because, let’s face it, stress + change of routine can do very strange things to our appetite), maintaining a healthy 3-meals-a-day regime is important too. You’re not only putting valuable fuel into your system, you’re giving your mind and body the reassurance that everything’s okay, the world outside may be different but, inside here, we’re staying on target.
FIND THE PERFECT WORKSPACE
There are no prizes for guessing this shouldn’t be your bedroom. Unless there are really good reasons why you can’t work somewhere else, your bedroom should only be the place where you sleep and relax. If you turn it into your office, you’ll find it impossible to switch off from the 9-5.
Ideally, create a workspace in a room where you won’t be tempted by distractions, like a spare bedroom or a home office. You’ll find it easier to focus on what you’re doing and, if you’re self-isolating with other people, you’ll be much less likely to be disturbed. Also, set boundaries for the people you’re living with so you don’t get interrupted (and remember that making agreements with people is a lot better than relying on expectations! You’ll find out more about that in episode 2 of my new podcast series: https://www.hillcoachingcompany.co.uk/podcasts)
Wherever your workspace is, clear all paperwork off your desk except for the items you’ll need that day; close down your email and social media; and if residual sounds in the house or the street outside are interfering with your concentration, playing white noise or low-level background music has been shown to improve creativity and focus for many people.
ESTABLISH A ROUTINE
This is vital. If you’re going to get into a positive, productive mindset – and maintain it throughout the course of the day – you must set a timetable that organises and prioritises your activities. Be realistic about what you can achieve and remember that these are extraordinary times; don’t overcram your schedule and don’t beat yourself up if there are tasks you can’t complete. Being productive is a daily process and some days will be more productive than others. All you have to do is show up at your desk every morning and do the best that you can. And while we’re on that subject…
TAKE REGULAR BREAKS
Taking regular breaks is important for your productivity. Even the most productive people are only optimally productive for about three hours a day, and that three hours should be spread over the course of the day, not in one solid chunk of time. If you don’t take regular breaks you’ll lose focus, cloud your thinking, and find it harder to make decisions. You’ll also risk damaging your physical health too, including headaches, strained eyesight, and muscular aches and pains caused by bad posture.
That’s why, if you’re going to stay positive and productive, it’s advisable to take a short five-to-fifteen-minute break at least every 90 minutes. Why 90 minutes? Because, back in 1957, two sleep researchers called William Dement and Nathaniel Kleitman discovered that we sleep in approximately 90-minute cycles, during which time we move from light sleep to deep sleep and back again. A few years later, Professor Kleitman realised that we follow an almost identical cycle when we’re awake, although during the day our bodies move from alertness to fatigue approximately every 90 minutes. Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, who co-authored the book ‘The Power of Full Engagement”, call taking breaks to match that rhythm “pulse and pause.”
Further research by Professor K. Anders Ericsson at Florida State University has also shown that elite performers in sport and the arts typically practice in “deliberate sessions” that are no more than 90 minutes long. They start in the morning, take a break between each session, and rarely work more than four and a half hours in any given day.
Of course, although everyone agrees that regular breaks are important, the amount and duration of those breaks will always be up for debate. The Pomodoro Technique (a popular time management tool) advocates taking a short 3-5-minute break every 25 minutes and then, after four 25 minute sessions, taking a longer break of 15-30 minutes. Alternatively, a 2011 study conducted by the University of Illinois recommends taking a brief break every 50 minutes.
One other thing to remember: if you’re reading a book or doing some research it’s better to study in ‘chunked’ sessions of 20-25 minutes throughout the day because, if we take any longer than that, we’re not able to retain the information.
WHAT COULD YOU DO DURING YOUR BREAKS?
Something physically active is always best, like stretching or taking a five or ten-minute walk. Don’t use the break as a chance to make a business-related phone call or write a business-related email. If you’re tempted to use the internet, think carefully. Social media can increase stress (especially at a time like this) and that can harm your ability to re-focus.
KEEP CONTACT
We’re in self-isolation, not total isolation. If you want to stay optimally positive and productive, make time to stay in touch with your family, friends and colleagues via FaceTime, Skype, House Party or any of the other gazillion video conferencing apps that seem to have sprung up while I wasn’t looking. If all else fails, don’t forget there’s an old-fashioned invention called a telephone available too. This is also a perfect opportunity to reply to those non-business emails you’ve forgotten about, the ones that old friends sent you weeks ago that have disappeared so far down your email pile that they’re not even on the screen anymore.
Also, from a purely business point of view, this is a great time to network and strengthen your social media presence. The likelihood is that all those potential collaborators you’ve always thought about reaching out to are also working from home and they might be more open to having a conversation than ever before.
?GET FIRED UP FOR THE FUTURE… BUT DON’T PUT YOURSELF UNDER PRESSURE
When the lockdown ends there’ll be plenty of challenges ahead, but there’ll also be plenty of opportunities. Use this period to get yourself ready for whatever the future holds – take rest, practice self-care, set yourself short-term and long-term goals, get healthier, read books, follow your passions, do whatever you need to do to prepare for the future and get excited by its possibilities. Gym fanatics might have heard of a guy called Greg Plitt, who once said “It’s early in the morning and your competition is still sleeping.” Think of this lockdown as early in the morning, and if you approach this time with a positive and productive mindset you’ll be way ahead of most other people when the self-isolation is over. You could also be well on the way to achieving your more personal, life-oriented goals too. But also remember that this is unknown territory for all of us and you will have days when you struggle with your productivity and feel uncertain about what’s in store. When those days happen, give yourself permission to take some downtime and come back to your desk tomorrow.