How To Handle Back To Work Anxiety
If you find yourself struggling with anxiety following the break from being in the workplace, here are some strategies to make the transition a little easier.
Talk with your boss
It can help to think about the source of your worries if you’re experiencing anxiety in returning to the workplace. Try not to take on more than you can manage, and have a conversation with your manager or team if you are feeling overwhelmed. If your workload is the problem, raise the issue with your boss to help find a solution. If your commute is the problem, inquire about flexible and remote working. Perhaps you can work from home for a day or two a week, or adjust your start and finish times to avoid the worst of rush hour.
Try some mindfulness
Post- lockdown back to work anxiety, can encourage ‘what if’ statements as many people project ahead and worry about what may – or may not – happen. Being aware of your surroundings with mindfulness can help you stay present in the moment and improve your mental well-being.
Try practicing breathwork to help to reduce these feelings by breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth, for around three minutes, ensuring that your ‘out-breath’ is longer than your ‘in-breath’.Don’t forget that exercise is good for your mental health too.
Physical activity releases brain chemicals such as endorphins, helping to boost your mood. Although going back to work can be exhausting, try to make time for a short workout, a bike ride, or even just a walk to help cope with feelings of anxiety.
Plan fun things
t’s important to plan some enjoyable things on the horizon as you return to work. Whether it’s planning a catch-up or coffee break with a colleague, arranging to see friends at the weekend, or taking time for yourself, planning something you enjoy can help you tackle those feelings of dread and avoid feelings of overwhelm.
Acknowledge the positives of your job
Try to focus on the people or elements of your job that you enjoy. Write a list of what you enjoy doing at work, such as helping others, problem-solving, dealing with projects or being part of a team. It’s also important to remember that work doesn’t define you, so think about other elements to your life, such as hobbies, family, and other interests – and how they impact and enrich your life.
Seek professional help
If anxiety or low frequent low mood is getting in the way of enjoyable things you were once able to do without feeling anxious, consider seeking professional help. Anxiety is a recognized condition that, if left untreated, can lead a person to find it difficult to cope. Talking through your concerns with a mental healthcare professional can help you adopt coping strategies for managing your anxiety. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can be excellent for working out solutions and learning new skills to keep on top of your mental health.
Embrace a new normal with sensitivity and care
It’s essential to be kinder to yourself and others and do what you need to do in order to get by for the first few days back in the office, rather than take on too much. When we emerge back into the outside world, it’s important we do so with the sensitivity and care that this pandemic has helped us to nurture.
(Info c/o: https://www.snapclarity.com/blog/post-lockdown-anxiety-returning-to-work-in-the-new-normal )
Video Call Etiquette
Video conferencing has become an essential component of the modern business world and helps improve the connectedness of remote team members. Here’s a list of standard etiquette measures to help you navigate through video conferencing:
1. Mute yourself when not speaking.
Even though you may not be speaking and think you’re being quiet, most microphones can pick up minor background noises, like coughs, sneezes, or typing. These sounds can easily distract other video conferencing participants and potentially even cause annoyance. Make it a practice (out of common courtesy to your colleagues) to mute yourself whenever you’re not talking.
2. Be on time.
This one should be standard with any meeting, video or otherwise. However, when you’re dialling into a video conference, it’s especially important. While you might be able to get away with sneaking into a physical meeting late, everything is more visible in a video conference.
3. Ensure your technology works correctly.
You don’t want to have to delay a meeting with an important client because your video conferencing system isn’t working properly. You need to do a few test runs with internal employees before trying to land the next big investor. Find someone willing to help, and make sure you understand the process fully before starting your first video conference. This will make sure everything runs smoothly during the real thing.
4. Choose the proper software and hardware.
Having the right video conferencing hardware is only half the equation. You’ll also need a software solution that your employees can use without frustration or extensive training. If you’re looking for new software, check out our video conferencing comparison guide for reviews, features, and recommendations.
5. Wear work-appropriate clothing.
While it might be tempting to work in your favorite sweatshirt all day, consider wearing professional attire to any video conferences you’re attending. You don’t have to wear anything fancy, but choose something that would be appropriate if the meeting were face-to-face, rather than virtual.
6. Frame the camera correctly.
We’ve all been on video calls where we end up looking up people’s nostrils or seeing the side of their face. When you’re on video, make sure you frame your camera in a way that feels natural and allows you to look at the camera. Sit at eye level to the lens, and try to position yourself so that it shows midsection up. Placing it too high leaves other participants staring down at you like a bad TV show. Putting a camera too low can lead to unflattering and awkward angles.
7. Have the right light.
Poor lighting conditions have an enormous effect on the video quality that you send. You’ll want to make sure that there is enough light in the room you’re in so that your video isn’t grainy and unwatchable. Try to not mix natural lighting and office lighting unless your office bulbs are daylight white. You also don’t want any faces being lit from below, as this makes you look like a cartoonish villain from a silent film. Lighting from the sides will make faces look the best, so try for that if you have the ability.
8. Look into the camera.
A common mistake is looking at the video feed instead of the camera when speaking to a remote participant. While it may seem like the right thing to do, it actually makes it appear as if you’re looking off and not paying attention. This will make you come across as more aloof and less professional. Looking into the camera lens is the equivalent of looking into the person’s eyes, so practice doing so until you’re comfortable with it.
9. Pay attention.
Stop checking emails or working on your PowerPoint presentation during video conferences. Not only does research suggest only 3% of people can multitask effectively, but you also look rude to your participants.
We’ve all been to bad video conferencing meetings. But with new technology, they’re getting better. For even more ways to improve your video conferences, check out these tips to make your video meetings more productive next.
(Info found on https://www.owllabs.com/blog/video-conferencing-etiquette)
Benefits of a Serviced Apartment During this COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 Coronavirus has already had a large impact on the hotel industry and brought with it a huge amount of uncertainty. The first priority at this time is obviously the safety of guests and staff. However, serviced apartments are much safer than hotels, in regards to keeping social distance.
Here are 4 reasons why a serviced apartment is much better than a hotel during this crisis:
1. You are in control of your own space
Serviced apartments come with a lot more space, basically a home away from our home.
They have all the modern amenities you could ever need. Once you book in, you are totally in control of your own apartment; movement, schedule and the best thing is the meal preparations.
You have a whole fully equipped kitchen to prepare your own meals, helping to obey the social distancing rule.
2. You can work and live
Serviced apartments have amenities that enable you to live and work at the same time; a perfect balance of both business and pleasure.
There are board rooms you can conduct business in, away from distractions. And you can still utilize the space in your apartment for some quiet study or work time.
Keeping in mind the causes of transmission, here are a number of safety measures we have put in place to ensure our guest’s safety:
- Everyone to wear masks (possibly including guest in public spaces). There is a growing amount of evidence that this considerably reduces transmission.
- A ‘no contact’ rule between staff or staff and guests
- Keeping 1.5m distance between people – this means reducing the capacity at shared spaces like pool, restaurant.
3. Sanitization
We have placed sanitizer at strategic places and signage to remind associates to wash hands
- Guest Rooms: Housekeeping Steward to adhere to cleaning and disinfecting SOPs to clean rooms after guests depart and before the next guest arrives, with particular attention paid to high-touch items.
- Public Spaces: Public Area stewards have increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting in public spaces, with a focus on the counter at the front desk, elevators (and elevator buttons), door handles, public bathrooms.
- Back of House: Increase the frequency of cleaning focusing on high-touch areas like entrances, changing rooms, laundry rooms, and staff offices.
4. Temperature Check
All visitors and staff are checked before accessing the facility. Your health and safety is our number one priority.
- We are aware and informed
- We are prepared
- We are safe
- We are taking every measure to make sure that our facility is safe.
What to Use to Disinfect Surfaces at Home
You might think that you are safe inside the house, but there are so many surfaces in your home that could be harbouring germs. Social distancing and washing your hands frequently is one of the best steps you can take, but the virus can still cling to surfaces you carry with you into your sanctuaries, like your clothes, shoes, debit card and even your phone
Cleaning products like Clorox, Lysol, Microban, hydrogen peroxide and Maquat products to sanitize all the surfaces in your home are greatly advocated for. Make sure you focus on cleaning all the doorknobs, countertops and other high-traffic areas during your deep clean.
Here are five ways to keep your home sanitized from the coronavirus, and other areas and items you should disinfect:
· Use disinfectant wipes to quickly clean down surfaces
Think about the things you touch multiple times a day -doorknobs, sinks, cabinet handles, refrigerator doors, and remote controls – and how many germs are lingering on those surfaces that you may not think about. Since home is where you’re most relaxed, you may not be as militant about washing your hands in your own space as you are in public places.
To keep the germs at bay, use a disinfectant wipe, like Clorox Wipes, Lysol Wipes or Purell Wipes, to quickly sanitize those areas. Once or twice a day should do the trick to remove germs, but if someone in your house is sick, you may want to wipe down surfaces more frequently. After you wipe the area, let it air dry to give it time to kill any bacteria that could linger.
· Clean surfaces with a disinfectant spray
For areas like your couch and carpet that can’t be wiped down, you can use a disinfectant spray, like Lysol, to go after unseen germs. Spray in a sweeping motion to cover the entire surface, then let it completely dry before sitting down or walking on the surface.
You can also spray down countertops, mattresses and tables. If you’re out of wipes, you can also aim your disinfecting spray into a paper towel to wipe down sink handles and other smaller surfaces.
· Use a bleach mixture to clean floors
Your shoes step on a lot of gross stuff during the day and if you don’t take them off when you come into the house, you could track in viruses and other germs. To clean the floors in your kitchen and bathroom, the CDC recommends using 1 cup of bleach mixed with 5 gallons of water to mop your floors.
Note that you’ll need to use a different disinfectant for porous floors – for example, if you use bleach on hardwood, it can remove the stain colour. Instead, use a disinfecting wet mop cloth on your hardwood floors or combine half a cup of white vinegar and 1 gallon of water.
· Clean up with hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide isn’t only effective for whitening teeth — in fact, the CDC says that 3% hydrogen peroxide was able to inactivate rhinovirus within eight minutes. When you pour the substance directly on surfaces like your sink, countertops or toilets, you’ll need to let it soak for around 10 to 15 minutes. This will give it time to completely do its job. After you let it sit, scrub the area and then rinse with water.
It’s also safe to clean your toothbrush with hydrogen peroxide since the bristles can harbour bacteria.
Other household items you should consider disinfecting:
· Your computer keyboard and mouse
· Speakers
· TV remote and TV buttons
· All frequently used electronics, like tablets and phones·
Debit cards
These are crazy times. Stay safe everyone🕊
(Information found on www.cnet.com)
